Captive
by AveryGrace824
Summary: I felt the world blur out of focus as more tears welled up in my eyes.  How could I have put any faith in a vampire? – Set pre-season 1; Elena is kidnapped by a certain blue-eyed stranger that is quickly stealing her heart.
1. Accidents Happen

**A/N: **Hi all! If anyone here has been reading my other story _When in Nightmares_, I would like to apologize for not updating it. After the new direction the show took, I sort of lost my muse for that story. If the writer's block goes away I promise to get back to it, but that's looking kind of bleak. Anyway, this story came to me a while ago and I promise to try to at least update it once a week if not more. Hope you like it!

**Summary:** I felt the world blur out of focus as more tears welled up in my eyes. How could I have put any faith in a vampire? – Set pre-season 1; Elena is kidnapped by a certain blue-eyed stranger that is quickly stealing her heart.

**Disclaimer: **In no way do I own The Vampire Diaries or any of the characters there-in. If I did, I'd be retired on an island right now.

Chapter 1: Accidents Happen

I scowled at the sky as it grew steadily darker, the rain clouds moving in, and the chill in the wind picked up. Of course, after all the effort I'd taken to sneak out, the rain would spoil the party. And how exactly was I supposed to get home. Matt was my ride, and after the fight we'd just had, I'd say the chances of him taking me home were ruled out.

"You could walk. It's not that far," Bonnie suggested, clinging to the linebacker she'd been shamelessly flirting with all night.

"Yes, I'm sure walking the four miles to my house drunk is a great idea… but I'll pass," I quipped, rolling my eyes and preparing to dial the only number I knew I could rely on, though I hated to call them.

"And calling your parents is the alternative?"

"I don't have a lot of options. Caroline's way too drunk and you didn't drive."

"Yeah, but, you'll be grounded for like, ever."

"It's better than getting pneumonia after being stuck out in a rain storm."

Hesitantly, I dialed home and waited as the phone rang, my heart pounding the whole time.

"Hello," my mom answered.

"Um… Hi Mom."

"Elena? Why are you calling me from your room?"

"Well… I'm not actually… I'm not in my room. I snuck out and now I need a ride."

There was a moment of silence and I didn't need to see my mom to know the look of disappointment and anger that was shooting across her features right now. I wanted to point out that if she'd just given me permission to go in the first place, I could have drove myself and wouldn't be stranded here without a ride, but that would just earn me more grounding.

"Where are you," she asked, the irritation clear in her voice.

"In the woods on the old Lockwood property."

"Your father and I will be there soon."

The phone went dead before I could even say goodbye and I shoved it angrily in my pocket. I was dreading seeing my mom's face when she picked me up and now I'd have to deal with both her and my father. Great. Could this night possibly get any worse?

The first peal of thunder sounded in the distance and the partiers scattered, running for their cars and hoping to beat the rain.

"Here; take this," Bonnie offered, handing me a breath mint. "Your breath smells like a keg."

"Gee, thanks."

I popped in the mint and waved to Bonnie as the linebacker ushered her back towards Tyler's house. With his parents out of town, I didn't want to know what kind of after party would be going down there. Watching Bonnie's retreating form, I couldn't help but worry about her being there alone with her new boy toy; what if he hurt her? I should definitely call her when I get home.

The thunder rumbled across the sky again and I quickly made my way to the road side, reclining against a large tree as I waited for my dad's headlights to appear. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, alerting me to the third text from Matt this hour.

_I'm sorry for what I said. Please call me. I just want to know you got home ok._

I hated fighting with Matt. We were always so good together, but the fact that I'd snuck out and had him pick me up didn't sit well with him. His mom had just gotten back and he was afraid that if he got in any trouble, she'd leave again. Looking back at the fight now, I could see his side of the story. And now everyone was mad at me.

The first drops of rain began to fall in a light sprinkle and I hoped my parents would be here soon, before I was soaked. But just as my dad's familiar car crested the hill, the dread set in and I started to regret not just walking home.

"Get in the car," my dad ordered and I quickly did as he said.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I-"

"I don't want to hear it right now, Elena!"

"Grayson; I'm mad too, but we should hear what she has to say," my mom defended, and I gave her a grateful smile. But her answering grimace shattered any hopes that she was on my side.

"I'm sorry I snuck out. It was stupid."

"Yes it was, young lady. And please tell me there wasn't drinking at this party," Dad asked, staring me down in the rear view mirror.

"No, not – not much."

"Of course. You know you're grounded, right?"

"I'm already grounded, Dad."

"Well, you just bought yourself another month."

I huffed out a sigh and fell back against the seat, the alcohol in my system making me groggy as I sat in silence, watching the trees whirl by. We were just coming up on Wickery Bridge, so we'd be home soon and I could get all these pent up emotions down on paper.

The rain was coming down pretty heavy now, and it pounded against the roof of the car. I glanced out the front windshield, but it was nearly impossible to see the road.

"Grayson, maybe you should slow down," Mom warned, but Dad was focused on something up ahead.

"What's that?"

Just as the question left his mouth, it became clear that someone was standing in the middle of the road, but who would be that stupid?

From there, everything happened so fast. My dad slammed on the brakes in an attempt to miss the idiot in the road, but the car didn't stop! I could feel us swerving on the bridge uncontrollably and then we hit something… hard.

My head hurt, but I didn't know why, and everything seemed fuzzy, like I was on the verge of sleep. I tried to focus, barely registering the sound of moving water… Moving water? I could feel myself slowly slipping into unconsciousness and it became harder to breathe, like something was blocking my mouth from the air. Someone grabbed my arm…

And then blackness.

~TVD~

My head was throbbing.

How much did I drink last night? I could have sworn I'd only had a few beers. And whatever I was laying on was hard; had I fallen asleep in the woods? I tried to remember what happened after the party, but everything was just so muddled, like the memories were just out of reach.

Voices wafted to my ears from somewhere in the room, but they didn't sound like my parents. I struggled to listen anyway, hoping they would give me some indication of exactly where I'd passed out at.

"stupid idea! You really think he'll just make a deal with us," a smooth male voice argued.

"Trust me, when he sees what we have to offer, he will," the second voice countered, this one female. This second voice sounded so familiar, like I was listening to my voice on a recording. How weird.

"And after we do this, I won't see you again. You'll be out of my life," the male whispered, a note of disbelief in his voice. He sounded like he didn't trust this woman.

"If that's what you want."

"It is!"

"Fine, then yes. You won't ever see me again."

"Perfect. When do we call him?"

"I'll make the call now. Attend to the girl, will you? If she sees me she might have a heart attack, and we can't have that."

I heard a door open and close and assumed the woman was gone. Where was I? And why did all this sound like a bad mafia movie? Slowly, I pried my eyelids open, only to clamp them shut again when the bright light hit them.

"You might want to lie still for a while," the man instructed. The idea of being in some unknown room with an unknown man didn't sound good and I could feel the fear building in the pit of my stomach.

The man's voice was void of any emotion and that was the most alarming of all. Against his instructions, I opened my eyes again, allowing a minute for them to adjust to the light and attempted to sit up.

That was a bad idea.

The pain in my head intensified and the dizziness had me collapsing back on the pillows, squeezing my eyes shut again. The unknown man laughed.

"Told you," he chuckled, but then turned off the lights, leaving only the stream of sunlight coming from a window to light the room.

"Where am I," I asked, my voice so raspy I wasn't sure he could understand it.

"You're in a room with food and a bed. That's all you need to know. Now will you shut up and go back to sleep; I'm really not in the mood to baby sit," he drawled.

I was just about to demand that he be nice to me and stop playing games when a sudden memory shot across my mind. The bridge! It all came flooding back to me then; someone standing in the road, the car swerving, and the crash. We went over the bridge! In a burst of pure adrenaline, I managed to shoot straight up in the hard bed.

"We drove off Wickery Bridge! My parents! They could be hurt," I rasped out, a hysterical edge to my voice.

"Ugh, calm down," the man complained, kneeling down in front of me and placing steady hands on my shoulders.

It was the first time I'd actually seen him and for a moment, he took my breath away. He had the most beautiful crystal blue eyes I'd ever seen and his dark hair was a stunning tribute to his ivory skin. He was gorgeous.

"What happened to my parents," I breathed, attempting to reorganize my thoughts.

"I don't know. All I did was get the room. You'll have to take that up with Katherine. Now, are you going to hyperventilate, or do I have to force you to breathe?"

I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but I did focus on my lungs, willing them to work properly and after several seconds I was able to take a deep breath.

"Thank you. Now, I'm sure you're hungry. What would you like," he asked, looking more bored than anything.

"I'd like some answers. Who are you, and where am I?"

"If I answer your questions, will you shut up?"

Instead of answering, I simply glared at him, insinuating that I would not be letting the issue drop and he moved to sit next to me on the bed. His close proximity had my heart racing for a moment and I quickly scooted further way from him. He just rolled his eyes.

"For one, I won't hurt you… not yet." He smiled maliciously as he took in my fear at those words and the dread in my stomach engulfed me. "I'm Damon."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You know, most girls would kill to wake up in a fancy hotel with me."

"Well, I'm not most girls. Tell me why I'm here."

"We're taking you to someone. Don't ask who; it won't do you any good. Just relax and enjoy the luxury. I'll get you anything you want."

"What I want is to know that my parents are okay!"

"I'll… see what I can do. Now, would you like to get out of those clothes? They smell like moldy water."

Self-consciously, I sniffed my shirt, realizing for the first time that my clothes were still damp. I nodded and he jumped off the bed, moving to retrieved items from a drawer. He brought back jeans and a tank top, and I blushed when he handed me the black, lacy lingerie set.

I gave him a pointed look until he heaved out a frustrated sigh and turned around. Why couldn't he just leave the room like a gentleman? It wasn't just that I didn't want him to see me naked. The worry for my parents was continuing to build as the fuzziness left my brain, not to mention I didn't like the intentions he had for me. What did he mean when he said he was taking me to someone? I was on the verge of tears and I didn't want him to see the weakness in my eyes, but he just wouldn't leave.

Tentatively, I stood, noting how sore my body still was. My first try had me falling back on the bed.

"You need help," he asked seductively.

"No."

I heard him give a small chuckle at my expense and with a new determination, I stood, proud when I didn't fall back down. The dizziness in my head picked up again and I struggled to keep from swaying. Carefully, I started to lift my shirt over my head, but a soreness in my shoulder was making it impossible, not to mention the pain in my head increased the harder I tried.

Touching my forehead, I felt a bandage there and wondered how that had happened. I tried again to lift my shirt off, but I just couldn't lift my left shoulder high enough.

"I don't know what happened to you, but when Katherine brought you in, your head was bleeding and your shoulder was pretty bruised. You sure you don't want any help," he asked, a little softer this time.

The tears started to fall then and I nodded my head in resignation.

"Yes," I whispered.

He turned and gently started lifting my shirt, removing it without jostling my left shoulder. I shivered as the chill in the room hit my exposed skin and his eyes roamed over my chest. His skillful hands moved down to my jeans, and proceeded to remove them with my panties. The tears increased as he removed my bra. I'd never felt more vulnerable in all my life.

His eyes met mine then and for the first time, all the coldness and swagger left his face, leaving compassion in its wake.

"Are you kidnapping me," I asked, voice quivering.

"Yes."

His eyes held just a hint of an apology as I stood naked and shivering before him and he ran his hands down my bare arms.

"Why don't we just get you a bath," he offered, guiding me to the bathroom and holding me steady as I swayed. In minutes, he had the tub filled with warm water and he lowered me down. The heat felt good to my sore body.

"I'll leave you alone. Call me if you need help… or company."

He wagged his eyebrows a little, but when I didn't respond, he turned to leave, shutting the door behind him. When he was finally gone, the tears turned into sobs and I just prayed that my parents were alright.

**A/N:** So, I hope it's intriguing. Please, let me know what you think, good or bad, and thanks for reading!


	2. Katherine

**A/N**: I would like to thank those who reviewed and added this to your story alert. It really made my day! 

Chapter 2: Katherine

It felt like I'd been crying forever when the tears finally ran dry, the shock of it all wearing off. The bath actually did help with the soreness in my shoulder and I managed to wash my hair with one hand. At first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get out of the bathtub by myself and was dreading the thought of having to call Damon to come and help me. Hadn't I already seemed weak enough?

Luckily, I managed to make it out alone and sat on the edge of the tub as I patted my skin dry. I knew I had to get to my parents; what if they hadn't made it out of the car? My heart raced in my stomach as that scenario played out in my head for the millionth time, but I forced it to slow. If I was going to escape, I'd have to keep my head, not get caught up in my emotions. But once I'd forcefully moved the thoughts of my parents to the back of my mind, I was brought back to Jeremy.

Who was watching after my little brother during all this? He could be all alone right now.

I pulled myself to my feet, wiping furiously at the tears that escaped and started pulling on the clothes Damon had left for me. I paused at the mirror before going out, wanting to make sure the tear tracks weren't visible, but I was shocked by the face that stared back.

My face was worn and tired, with dark circles under my eyes and there was a faint bruise on my cheek. There was a much darker bruise on my shoulder and as I removed the wet bandage on my forehead, it revealed another nasty bruise with a gruesome cut running through the middle. I quickly searched the bathroom, hoping to find another bandage, but there was none.

Taking one last look in the mirror, I took a deep breath and opened the door. Damon sat at the small table in the room and didn't bother to look up when I emerged.

"I ordered breakfast for you. Hope you like pancakes," he informed, never taking his eyes from the newspaper in front of him.

"Thanks," I mumbled and dutifully sat in the chair across from him.

The pancakes did smell delicious and after the first bite I found I was ravenous. In a matter of seconds, I'd finished the entire plate.

"I didn't think such a little thing could eat so much," Damon drawled, briefly making eye contact before dropping his gaze and reaching for his coffee mug.

As I watched him take a long gulp, an idea came to me. I quickly noted that there was no coffee maker in the bedroom, so there must be a kitchen somewhere else in the hotel room.

"Is there any more of that coffee? I'd really like some," I asked, attempting to smile at my captor.

"This isn't…," he started, but immediately trailed off and after staring at me for a moment, gave a sickly, sweet smile. "I'll go make some."

He left the room, taking his coffee mug with him. What an odd response? But I couldn't consider his behavior for more than a second; I only had a little time.

Quickly, I jumped from my seat and snatched the hotel phone off the bedside table and dialed Jeremy's cell number. He was the only one I knew I'd get an answer from. Before the phone even rang, a lightning-fast hand jerked the phone away from me and slammed it back down on the table.

"What do you think you're doing," Damon asked, with a hint of humor lacing his tone.

"My parents drove into a lake last night! I need to know their okay!"

"Sorry, sweetness. Now, this will go a lot smoother if you just sit down and don't try anything. No matter what you do, you won't escape."

He seemed very sure of himself, but it only made me more determined. Sourly, I returned to my seat at the table while he moved to retrieve something from the dresser. A first aid kit.

Gently, he applied more antiseptic to the cut on my forehead and applied a new bandage. It was so odd; sometimes he acted as if he had no emotions what-so-ever and sometimes… he could just be so sweet. But he was my captor, and I shouldn't let him get to me. Without thanking him, I reached out for the cup of orange juice on the table as he moved to glance out the window.

"Where is she," a shrill female voice called.

"In here. What happened," Damon asked, never tearing his gaze from the window.

"It's a long story, but we need to leave."

The voice was just outside the bedroom door now and as I looked up into the eyes of my second kidnapper, I saw myself staring back.

"You… you…," I stuttered, frozen to my chair.

"Yes, it's uncanny," she mocked. "And why are you in my clothes? You gave her my clothes!" The last statement was shouted at Damon, who seemed unfazed by the exchange.

"Her clothes were wet, Katherine. What was she supposed to wear? Or did you want a sick human to deliver?"

"Whatever. We have to go. Now!"

"Why? This isn't luxurious enough for you Miss Katherine," Damon mocked.

"Shut up and move! We've been discovered."

This seemed to put him in motion, but I was still staring, dumbstruck, at my mirror image when Damon grabbed my arm and pulled me from the chair.

"We're going to walk out of this hotel quietly," he instructed. "You won't speak to anybody and you won't cause a scene."

I was mesmerized by his intense stare, but his serious words confused me. What did he think this was, Star Wars? But oddly, I found I didn't want to question him and what he'd instructed sounded reasonable… I just couldn't understand why.

Damon wrapped his arm around me and we followed Katherine out into the hall to the elevator. The whole way, I couldn't take my eyes off her. How did we look exactly alike? Was she my long lost twin sister? Had we been separated at birth somehow?

I also marveled at how perfect she was; every hair in place. Why couldn't I look like that? As we made our way through the lobby, I was instantly self-conscious of my disgruntled appearance next to her. My hair was still wet and stringy from my shower and I looked so haggard after my recent ordeal. Not that I could possess the gracefulness she carried herself with anyway.

Once I finally tore my gaze from Katherine, I noticed the lobby was filled with people and that the right thing to do would be to scream for help, but I couldn't. And it wasn't just that, I didn't want to. But why? I wanted to be rescued, right? My chance for help slipped away as Damon lead me through the front doors and straight into the backseat of a blue Camaro, which was a pretty tight squeeze. Katherine took the passenger seat in the front while Damon slid into the driver's seat and in seconds, we were speeding down the road.

"Turn around," Katherine instructed me.

When I didn't respond, she grabbed my arm and spun me around in the confined space, slapping handcuffs on my wrists.

"Are those really necessary? She won't get anywhere even if she does escape the car," Damon inquired.

"You can never be too careful," she replied, releasing me and fiddling with the radio.

"Who are you," I asked.

Katherine ignored me, turning up the volume instead, so I shouted over the music.

"Who are you? Are you my sister?"

"Maybe I should just compel you to be quiet," she shouted back.

Compel me? What was that supposed to mean?

"Answer me," I demanded. Finally, she flipped the radio off and turned to glare at me in the backseat.

"No, I'm not your sister. Now shut up!"

"My parents are in trouble. Can you at least tell me what happened to them?"

"Sorry; didn't stick around to find out."

"Who pulled me out of the water?"

"I did and I hope you're not planning on asking questions the whole way."

"Yes, I am. If you didn't want to answer them, then maybe you shouldn't have kidnapped me!"

She glowered at me again for just a second before her perfect lips turned up in a horrific smile. I saw her hand fly and felt a pain in my head before I was once again lost to the blackness.

~TVD~

The sound of an angry rock song blaring through the speakers was the first thing that reached my ears as the world slowly came back into focus. My head was pounding once again and I hesitantly opened my eyes.

My face was pressed up against the side of the car and after a moment, I remembered why I was stuck in this cramped space with my arms handcuffed behind my back. How long had I been out?

It was dark outside, but I could still make out the trees whizzing past us. Katherine appeared to be reading a magazine… but how could she even see it in the dark car?

"Where are we," I asked.

"Ugh, you're awake," Katherine complained. "Maybe I should just hit you again."

"Leave her alone, Katherine, before you give her brain damage," Damon instructed, sounding irritated at the woman beside him.

I tried to sit up in a more upright position, but the handcuffs made it impossible and my arms ached from the movement.

"Can you please take these off? My arms hurt," I asked, barely holding back the tears. It was bad enough that I didn't know if my parents were okay, and after being kidnapped… I just wanted to go home.

"We're almost there," Damon explained, allowing some softness to creep into his voice, which earned him a speculative glare from Katherine.

It was only five minutes later that we stopped in front of a house in the woods. The porch light was on and an elderly lady stepped out to greet us.

"Katherine, dear. It's so good to see you," she called as Katherine approached her. Damon helped me out and quickly removed the handcuffs, which had left bruises on my wrists.

This woman appeared so nice; how could she be involved in a kidnapping?

"Ms. Delores, this is my friend Damon. May he come in," Katherine asked.

"Of course. Any friend of yours is welcome in my home. And who is this young lady," she inquired, looking shocked at my appearance.

"She's just a girl," Katherine answered, pulling Ms. Delores around to look her in the eye. "You are not to speak to her or do anything she might ask you. Whatever she tells you is a lie."

The way she spoke, almost sounded like some creepy form of mind control and Ms. Delores seemed to take on a zombie look as she stared into her brown eyes.

"Kat," a woman called, exiting the house and immediately wrapping Katherine in a hug. "It's good to see you girl."

"I assume you've made the preparations," Katherine asked, hugging her back.

"Well, a hello would have been nice. And yes, the house is ready for her."

"Damon," Katherine ordered, earning an eye roll from him. "Take Elena and follow Lucy into the house. She'll show you her room."

"I'm not your servant Katherine. I'm only here to save _my _life. Why don't you show her yourself; I'm sure she has a thousand more questions for you," Damon spat, stomping back to the car. I halfway considered making a run for it, but I didn't even know where I was.

"I'll take you, sweetie," the woman, Lucy, offered, taking my hand and pulling me inside the house and up the stairs.

She led me into a bedroom with a window, which surprised me, and released my hand. She was so warm and welcoming, the complete opposite of Damon and Katherine.

"Please, you have to help me," I begged.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. There's nothing I can do. It's better if you just do as they say; you don't want to be on their bad side, trust me."

"But I have to get home. My parents might be dead and my brother is all alone. Please… help me!"

"I'm sorry, Elena." Lucy soothingly ran her hands up and down my arms, truly heartbroken by my situation. I could see the fear in her eyes; she was scared of them.

I was so tempted to ask her more questions but she was already edging towards the door. A new plan formulated itself in my mind as I glanced back at the window; I was on the second floor, but I didn't care if I broke a leg, it would be worth it to escape.

"It won't work," Lucy promised, still standing in the doorway. I gave her a quizzical look. "You can try it if you like. Go ahead."

She motioned to the window and, hesitantly, I moved to open it, feeling the cool breeze of freedom. But when I went to stick my hand outside, it came up against a solid wall… but there was nothing there!

"It's a spell. I've cast it on all the doors and windows," Lucy explained.

"A spell? You mean like magic?" This was insane.

"Yes. Now, I'm sure you're hungry. Ms. Delores made supper."

I was still staring in disbelief at the window. I didn't believe in magic and spells! How could I be "magically" locked inside a house! But no matter how hard I attempted to shove my hand through the window, it never went through. I wasn't aware the tears of defeat had slipped from my eyes until Lucy approached and wiped them from my face.

"Don't let them see you weak. Now come downstairs."

She once again took my hand and my stomach growled when I saw the dining room table full of food.

"Well, someone's hungry," Katherine commented. Had my stomach been that loud?

As I took my seat and started on the ham, Damon came in with a suitcase and a cooler, headed for the stairs.

"Ooh, you still have your clothes. You know, since I had to leave mine behind, I might have to wear some of yours," Katherine exclaimed in a sultry voice, swirling the wine in her glass daintily.

"Just because you couldn't live out of a suitcase doesn't mean I have to share. Go buy your own clothes," he threw back before ascending the stairs, taking the cooler with him. That seemed a little odd; shouldn't the cooler stay in the kitchen?

I was so hungry that I ended up eating two plates full plus dessert. Damon never joined us and I thought it odd that he wasn't hungry; although, I had been out for a while in the car, so maybe they'd stopped at Mcdonalds or something on the way here.

"Well, I'm going out," Katherine exclaimed. "Tell Damon to watch that."

Apparently the "that" she was referring to was me and I glared back at her before she disappeared out the door.

"Let's get you upstairs. You look so tired," Lucy offered.

She was right, I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep, not when I had no clue what had happened to my family. As I re-entered the bedroom, I saw that Lucy had laid out a silky camisole with matching silk shorts for me to sleep in. I'd never slept in anything that sexy… or expensive.

"If you need anything, my room's at the end of the hall and Damon is next door. The two of you share a joint bathroom."

Great, so there would be no privacy. Once I was alone, I snatched the pajamas off the bed and headed for the bathroom, noting that there was no lock on the doors. Did that mean Damon could just walk in on me while I showered? Should I tell him not to come in?

As I considered this in my head, I started the water finding only shampoo in the shower, no conditioner. Absentmindedly, I checked the small closet for toiletry supplies and after finding none, checked the cabinets under the sink. As soon as I opened the doors, I saw the same cooler Damon had brought upstairs shoved in the small space. Was he hiding it?

I pulled it out, tempted to peek inside… but why? What could he possibly have in a drink cooler? The thoughts that came to mind then had me shaking and I simply shoved the cooler to the side and continued my search until I found a half empty bottle of conditioner in the back of the cabinet.

The shower helped ease my sore arms, but my shoulder hurt worse than ever, probably from the position I'd been stuck in for so long. I tried to focus on planning my escape, but that cooler just kept popping back into my head. Frustrated, I shut off the water and dressed quickly, planning to shove the thing back where I found it. But my hand hesitated on the lid, and finally, after several deep breaths, I threw the lid back and inside I found….

Blood?

"Well, well, aren't we nosy," Damon drawled from his bedroom doorway, causing me to jump.

"I- I'm sorry, I, uh, I…"

Why would he have a cooler full of blood? Had he robbed a hospital? Was he selling it on the black market? As I ran through questions in my head, he tossed an empty blood bag into the tiny trash can in the bathroom.

He didn't move to approach me or say a word, just stood, lazing against the doorframe with those dangerous eyes and a wicked smile. The blood was pumping so fast through my veins that it made it hard to breathe.

"W-w-why do you have this? Are you sick?"

"No, Elena. I'm perfectly healthy." The way he said my name made me shiver and I slowly backed into the bedroom and when he didn't follow, I bolted for the door.

But he was somehow there, his firm hand holding the door shut as I pulled furiously on the doorknob. Roughly, he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him, his body pressing up against mine, making escape impossible.

"What's wrong, Elena," he taunted, his lips grazing my ear as he spoke.

"Please… I won't tell anyone… and I won't ask any more questions. Please."

My voice quivered as I pleaded with him and his hand caressed my chin, pulling my face up so he could look into my eyes.

"Do you really want to know what the bloods for," he asked, smirking.

I didn't respond, frozen by this side of him. There was an evil in his eyes that I'd never seen before and it felt like I was staring into the face of a killer. As I watched, his tongue darted out and swiped at a stray drop of some red liquid left on his perfect lips. My frightened brain worked to distinguish exactly what it was and once the obvious answer made itself known, I couldn't stop myself from shrieking.

"You drank it?"

"Do you know how tempting you smell right now? Fear always makes it more appetizing."

As he spoke, I noticed his eyes change color. At first I thought it was just the adrenaline in my system making me see things, but the change became more drastic. His eyes turned a menacing deep red and long spidery veins ran from them down his face. It was the face of a demon!

When he smiled at me again, it revealed two sharp fangs protruding from his gums. I wanted to scream, but the terror had sealed my throat and I couldn't find my voice. Silent tears made their tracks down my face as I stared into those horrific eyes and he leaned in, grazing my neck with his teeth.

Just as I readied myself for his bite, I felt his tongue run over the vein that throbbed in my neck.

"I told you, Elena… I won't hurt you."

Slowly, he pulled back, his face returning to its normal beauty, and backed away from me. My legs were too weak to hold me up and I slid down the door to the floor, never taking my eyes from him.

"What are you?"

"What do you think? Don't you watch horror movies," he chuckled.

"A vam-vampire," I stuttered, sifting through my muddled thoughts to put a name to the creature before me.

"Ding-ding-ding. Would you like a prize?"

But I didn't believe it… did I? Vampires weren't real! But how could I deny what I'd just seen?

"You don't exist! You can't!"

"I feel pretty real to me. And if you want, I could make you believe," he suggested, his voice dripping with seduction.

"What do you mean?"

He dropped down to his knees in front of me and pulled me up so my posture mirrored his, our bodies just inches apart. I gasped as I felt his hand run up under my camisole.

"Does that feel real to you," he asked, his hand just under my breast.

"Stop," I begged, shoving his hand away.

"Alright. But soon I'll have you begging for it."

And in seconds, he was gone, moving so fast my eyes couldn't follow.

**A/N: **Reviews are always welcome!


	3. Beautiful Demon

**A/N:** Here's chapter 3. I hope you all enjoy and thanks for the support!

Chapter 3: Beautiful Demon

I didn't know how long I sat on the floor, staring in shock at the bathroom doorway. I remembered the tears streaming down my face as I waited for him to return, at a loss for how I could protect myself. It all took on a hazy feeling in my shock and eventually, the fatigue took over and the terror melted into a dream.

I couldn't remember the details, just that I was haunted by a pair of sharp fangs… and the morning light streaming through the window woke me.

The first thing I noticed was that I was oddly comfortable, considering I'd fallen asleep on the floor. I opened my eyes slowly and realized with confusion that I was in the bed. How had I gotten here?

"I thought you'd be more comfortable," Damon whispered.

Hearing his voice had me shooting straight up in bed, finding him sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, glass in hand.

"You… you… stay away from me!"

I wanted to shout it, but my voice was muted by fear. But he chuckled and strode slowly towards me, sitting the glass on the bedside table; I recognized the red liquid sloshing inside instantly.

"Now," he started, sitting next to me on the bed. I scooted as far as the wall would allow. "Is this really how it's going to be between us?"

"I don't trust you."

"Why? Because I'm a vampire? You afraid I'll bite you in your sleep?"

I didn't answer, but his scenario was pretty close to the truth. I gauged the distance between the bed and the door as he watched my face, but given the speed with which he'd moved last night, I'd never make it.

"Relax. I told you I wouldn't hurt you. Besides, I'm sure soon you'll find it hard to resist me. I have a way with women."

"Well, you don't have a way with me! I don't trust you and right now I just want you to leave me alone!"

He smirked, but stood from the bed, retrieving his glass of blood.

"There's breakfast downstairs if you're hungry," he mentioned before disappearing back through the bathroom door. I waited until I heard the door close on his side before jumping from the bed and bolting through the door and down the stairs.

I just prayed that whatever creepy magic had the place locked down last night wasn't still there. The kitchen smelled of eggs and bacon and my stomach gave a hungry snarl, but I kept my focus, easily sneaking past Ms. Delores and into the living room. The front door was in sight and I let out a sigh of relief.

"And just where do you think you're going," a voice drawled from the couch.

I whirled around, clutching my heart, to find Katherine sitting on the sofa with a smug smile on her face.

"I… I…"

"Let me guess; you're still worried about Mommy and Daddy and hoped you could sneak out and run all the way back to Mystic Falls. Well, I hate to break it you sweetie, but you can't get out of the house. I thought Lucy explained that."

The defeat hit hard, like a stone had fallen in the pit of my stomach. Why was this happening to me? And then, as I watched Katherine sip daintily from her coffee mug, a dreadful thought occurred to me.

Was she a vampire too?

Her keen eyes saw the question in mine and she gracefully lifted herself off the couch, coffee mug outstretched in front of her.

"I'm guessing you had a talk with Damon last night. Want a sip?"

As she came closer, I could see the dark liquid inside the mug and my body started trembling, the air suddenly too cold. I backed away and started to run for the kitchen, but when I turned she was already there, cutting me off. How could they move that fast?

"Now, don't get all freaked out on me. It wouldn't do me any good to deliver you dead," Katherine whispered silkily, moving closer until her face was just inches from mine. I wanted to back up, but I was frozen.

"Having fun with the human, Katherine," Damon asked, strolling into the room.

"I need some entertainment. Waiting is boring."

"And did you get in touch with your guy last night? I'm kind of in a hurry to get you out of my life."

That got my heart started again. Where they discussing the man they were taking me too? What if he was worse than them?

"Shh. Don't discuss business in front of the kid," Katherine scolded, smiling deviously.

The front door opened then, revealing Lucy stepping in with both hands loaded down with bags.

"What going on," she asked after spotting Damon glaring at Katherine and me still in my pajamas.

"Just business as usual. Nothing for you to worry about," Katherine explained, returning to her spot on the couch.

"Have you had breakfast yet," Lucy asked, smiling warmly at me.

"I… I'm not hungry," I rasped out.

After throwing one last nervous glance towards the vampires, I bolted for the stairs and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me and cursing it for not having a lock. Just as I collapsed on the bed, my mind in too much of a stupor to think, someone knocked on the door.

"Elena, can I come in, please," Lucy asked.

"Just go away," I yelled back.

She opened the door anyway, stepping through with the bags and closing it behind her.

"Are you a vampire too," I asked with as much malice as I could form.

"No."

"But you are something; I mean you magically sealed me in this house!"

"I'm a witch… but I won't hurt you, I promise."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you? You're helping them kidnap me!"

"I don't have a choice. Katherine helped me once and now I owe her. She's not the type of person you double-cross."

"She's not a person at all. And why does she look like me?"

"That's a long story sweetie. I'm not really allowed to tell it. But I did bring you something."

I looked at her questioningly as she sat the bags on the bed beside me, pulling a bright yellow sundress from the first.

"I didn't think you were very comfortable wearing Katherine's clothes, so I bought you your own," she explained.

"It's beautiful. Thanks," I mumbled, giving her the ghost of a smile as I dug through the rest of the bags. I really was appreciative of her kindness, especially in this bleak situation. Dropping the contents of the bag I was currently digging through, I wrapped her in a hug, which she hesitantly returned.

"Really, thank you." I pulled away, wiping the tears from my face and pulling out the underwear she bought me, which was certainly more my style.

"I know you can't help me escape, but could you do me one favor," I asked tentatively.

"What kind of favor?"

"I just want to know what happened to my parents. The night Katherine took me, they ran off a bridge into the lake. I just want to know if they're okay."

"I'll see what I can find out," she promised, squeezing my hand before turning to leave the room, but before she made it all the way out the door, she turned. "You really should eat something."

~TVD~

I stood in the bathroom, adjusting my new yellow sundress. It was beautiful and I felt a little better about my situation now that I had some clothes to my name… a very little. The cut on my forehead had closed, but the bruise was still pretty nasty, and so was the one on my shoulder, which was completely visible under the spaghetti straps.

"Knock knock," Damon greeted, smirking as I jumped in surprise. He looked so amazing leaning up against the doorframe between the bathroom and my bedroom that I had to remind myself he was my kidnapper… and a vampire.

"Leave me alone," I spat, shoving past him to curl up on the bed.

"Oh, come on pouty; I brought you some food."

In his hand was a plate full of the most amazing breakfast I'd ever seen; with pancakes and eggs and bacon…

My mouth watered.

"Fine. I'll take it."

Forcefully, I snatched the plate from his hand and waited for him to leave. But he had other plans as he stretched out across from me on the bed.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"Just making sure you eat. Go ahead, I could hear your stomach growling from down stairs."

I felt the blush warm my cheeks and immediately looked down and focused on eating my eggs. They were delicious! I almost forgot that I was sharing a bed with a vampire as I greedily ate my breakfast. But when I had only a couple strips of bacon left, I realized he was still staring at me.

"So… can you eat… like food?"

He didn't answer, just continued to smirk as he lifted a piece of bacon from my plate and shoved it in his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing.

"Of course I can eat. Any other questions?"

At first I thought he was taunting me, but he looked completely honest.

"You'll really answer them?"

"Sure, it beats hanging out with Katherine."

"Okay… why does she look so much like me?" This wasn't really the most important question at the moment, but it just kept popping back up in my mind.

"Actually, you look like her. She was born, like, five-hundred years ago."

"What?"

"You didn't notice the bags under her eyes," he chuckled.

"So you guys, like, don't age?"

"Nope. I'll always be the eternal stud." I rolled my eyes, but fought the smile that almost forced itself through.

"But… even if she's my ancestor… we shouldn't look exactly alike… should we?"

"It's some magic thing. I just found out about it myself. You're the doppelganger."

The what? All of this was so hard for me to wrap my head around.

"What's a doppelganger?"

"Apparently, it pops up every five-hundred years to break some curse. That's about all I know."

"So I'm like… some magical ingredient?"

"Yep."

"That's… insane."

"Tell me about it. But look on the bright side, at least you have a purpose."

I rolled my eyes at his attempted joke and sat my plate on the bedside table, contemplating my next question.

"So, who's this guy you're taking me to?"

"He's a vampire; one of the oldest. He's the one trying to break the curse. Katherine won't tell me anything about him. I just know that if I don't help her, she'll see to it that I don't live to see tomorrow."

"She threatened to kill you? Can you even die?"

"Yes, I can die. Everything can die. I'm just… more durable."

"More durable how?"

He thought for a moment, and then a glorious smile lit up his face and I found myself once again lost in those beautiful eyes.

"Hand me your fork," he instructed.

"Why?"

"Elena, if I was going to hurt you, I wouldn't need a weapon."

Hesitantly, I handed it to him, watching curiously as he held it like a knife. And then, in a blur, he stabbed it through his hand. I let out an ear-splitting scream as the blood ran down his hand before he pulled it out. He stretched his hand out and amazingly… it healed before my eyes!

"That's incredible… and disgusting."

He laughed, and then took the bloody fork in one hand, snapping it like a twig.

"I'm pretty strong too," he bragged. "And I have other talents I could show you on this bed."

As what he was offering sunk in, he leaned towards me; pushing me back into the pillows as he hovered over me, face inches from mine. The words I needed to say to stop him were stuck in my throat and I trembled as his hand ran up my back.

"Don't," I managed to whimper out. His playful eyes flashed some real emotion before the coldness returned and he pulled back, allowing me to breathe.

"You know where to find me if you change your mind," he offered before disappearing from the room, leaving me panting for breathe.

The rest of the day was agonizingly boring. At least Katherine never made a return. She was gone most of the day, only calling a couple times to check in. I stayed in my room, attempting to eavesdrop on Damon's conversation through the joint bathroom. I never could make out much, just that Katherine was trying to get in touch with somebody.

After supper, I changed into the pajama set Lucy had bought for me and crawled into bed, my skin heating up as I remembered my steamy exchange with Damon earlier. I took some deep breaths to clear my head, but just as I reclined back on the pillows, I noticed a movement outside my window.

I jumped up, wondering whether or not to call Damon, and decided against inviting him into my bed again. Slowly, I pushed the window open, seeing nothing at first, but then a face appeared in my window. The fact that she moved so fast could only mean she was a vampire. She didn't slip through the window, just perched on the branch outside and put her fingers to her lips, silently asking me to keep quiet.

I wanted to do just the opposite, to scream for Damon or Lucy, but I didn't trust them either… I didn't have anyone I could trust. The girl slipped a piece of paper through my window and disappeared as quickly as she'd come. I shut the window quickly, making sure it was locked, and unfolded the piece of paper she'd given me.

_Elena,_

_ My name is Anna. I'm here to help you. Be ready tomorrow._

The ghost of hope started to spread through my system at those words. I didn't even know this stranger, but I couldn't squash the joy that was rising in my stomach.

"You okay? I thought I heard something," Damon asked, appearing in the bathroom doorway.

"I just thought I saw something, but it was just a shadow," I lied, shoving the paper under my leg.

He nodded and brought his phone back to his ear before returning to his room. I got comfortable in bed once again, a smile on my face as I clutched the letter to my heart.


	4. Help Me!

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait between updates. I have other obligations that make it hard for me to write as often as I'd like, but I hope it's worth the wait. Thanks again for all the reviews! They really make my day!

Chapter 4: Help Me!

_The bed was so comfortable. I felt like I could lay here for hours. But the lips pressing into my neck had other ideas. They trailed kisses up to my jaw, my cheek, and finally my lips. The kisses were followed by hands that ran over my breasts and wrapped around my back, pulling me closer to him. Slowly, I opened my eyes and was immediately met with his crystal blue ones. His soft lips brushed against mine once more and I never wanted to leave his side._

_ "Elena."_

_ I was startled when I realized the call had not come from Damon. At first, I ignored the mystery voice and just focused on Damon's wandering hands. But the voice continued._

_ "Elena, help me!"_

_ I sat up in bed, eyes darting around the room for the source of the voice, but there was no one._

_ "Just ignore it," Damon soothed, laying passionate kisses to the throbbing vein in my neck. It was good advice. _

_ "Elena!"_

_ This time, the voice was unmistakable._

_ "Jeremy," I called out, finally finding him standing in the doorway._

_ "Help me, Elena!"_

I nearly screamed as I came shooting out of bed, my heart pounding in my chest. Just a dream! It was just a dream. But seeing Jeremy's face…

I had to get back to him! As I sat up, pushing the stuffy covers from my body, I was alerted to the paper still clutched tightly in my hand. So, had that girl been real? Could someone really be coming to save me?

A soft knock sounded at my door and I quickly shoved the letter under my mattress. Before I could respond to the unwanted intruder, the door was flung open, revealing Damon with a tray of food.

"I thought, since you seem to like eating in your room, I'd just skip the argument to get you to the table," he explained, sitting the tray down on the bed beside me.

"Um, thanks."

Just like yesterday, he sprawled out on my bed, waiting for me to start eating, but the sparkle in his blue eyes reminded me of the dream I'd just woken from and it made it hard to focus on the food. I found myself staring at his face, his hands, his toned body under his t-shirt….

Stop!

He kidnapped me! He's a vampire who's keeping me here against my will! Damon seemed to catch on to the turmoil going on inside my head and he smirked as he crawled further up into the bed, until he was lying right beside me.

"You know, you could offer me something to eat too," he insisted, giving me a flirtatious eye.

"Be my guest."

I motioned to the tray on the other side of me, but he was only focused on my face.

"That wasn't the kind of food I was talking about."

As the threat in his voice sunk in, his lips found my throat and began laying soft kisses there, causing a slight whimper to escape my lips.

"It wouldn't be so bad. I can make it feel good."

His kisses continued down to my shoulder and then back up as I tried desperately to remember why I didn't want him to bite me. Honestly, it was a little fuzzy at the moment.

"Well, aren't you two cute together," Katherine exclaimed, lazing against the doorframe.

"Ugh, you're back. I thought you'd be gone all day," Damon complained.

"Someone has to make sure you don't damage the merchandise."

Damon smirked, running a hand down my cheek that made me shiver.

"Get her ready, one of Klaus' men wants to see her for himself. Make sure we're not bluffing."

"Aww, they don't trust you? Can't imagine why." Katherine frowned at the sarcasm thick in his tone and started to leave.

"Wait," I called out. "Who are you taking me too? Why?"

"Relax, they're not leaving with you today. They just want to set eyes on you. Or are you worried about missing your time with Damon?"

"I don't want to be taken to anyone!"

As I pleaded, my eyes found Damon of their own accord and I searched his face for any remorse. There was a brief flicker of emotion as he held my gaze, but he was trying desperately to hide it.

"Oh, this is good. Did you actually think Damon cared about you," Katherine asked, the acid thick in her tone. "He's a vampire. Vampires don't feel; they don't care. He will never care about you."

Though I heard the words she said, the look in Damon's eyes made me think differently. But eventually, the coldness made its way back in and he rolled his eyes as he climbed off my bed.

"Sorry, baby. I'm a solo act," he smirked before pushing past Katherine.

"Get dressed," Katherine ordered, following Damon out and slamming the door behind her.

Had I really just expected Damon to help me? What was wrong with me? I wiped angrily at the tears that fell and pulled the new clothes from my drawer, in a daze as I pulled on my jeans and the baby doll t-shirt I'd retrieved. Without caring how I looked, I slipped on my shoes and plodded down the stairs, meeting Lucy in the kitchen.

"Did you find out anything," I asked franticly.

But she put her finger to her mouth, asking me to keep quiet as Katherine rounded the corner and snatched her jacket off the chair.

"Well, at least you're dressed. I don't guess they'll care how bad you look," Katherine remarked, eyes roaming over the bruise on my head.

"Can we go now, or would you like to waste more time being jealous," Damon asked, motioning to the front door. Katherine's face dropped.

"Bring your pet. I'll be in the car," she ordered.

Lucy followed her out, mouthing the word 'later' before disappearing out the door. Damon hesitated, looking me over. After Katherine's latest comment, I felt self-conscious as he ran his hand down my bare arm.

"It's pretty cold today. Is that all you're wearing? Didn't Lucy buy you a jacket," he asked.

"No, she didn't."

Without a second thought, he shrugged out of his leather jacket and held it out for me to slip my arms in.

"Won't you get cold?"

"Vampire, remember."

I nodded, turning and letting him slid the jacket up my arms and wrap it around me. The sleeves were too long, but the jacket held his scent; it was intoxicating.

"Hurry up," Katherine called, and Damon wrapped his arm around my shoulders to lead me out the door.

We climbed in a roomy SUV this time instead of the Camaro and Damon sat in the back with me; Katherine and Lucy had already claimed the front.

"So, how do we know these guys won't just grab Elena and kill us all," Damon asked, eyeing Katherine doubtfully.

"That's why I brought Lucy."

"I'm sure they'll have a witch too."

"She doesn't have to kill anybody; just distract them so we can get away. Once Klaus sees that we're telling the truth, he'll be willing to make a deal. It's called leverage, Damon."

Katherine spoke as if she was educating a small child and I heard Damon's jaw lock as he turned his angry gaze out the window. So, they weren't handing me over to someone else today. But how long did I actually have? At least this would give the mysterious Anna a chance to save me tonight; if that was even real.

"Just don't forget that this mission isn't just about saving our lives," Damon spoke up, tone more somber than I'd ever heard it.

"Stefan is there of his own free will. Last I heard, him and Klaus were pretty close."

"I'm not leaving my brother with that sadistic psycho. Klaus will kill him as soon as he gets tired of him and if anyone's going to kill my brother, it will be me."

Damon had a brother? That's why he was doing this? I stared at him in shock, forgetting momentarily how to close my mouth. It was just so hard for me to accept that he was really a heartless vampire when he flashed his feelings like this. There had to be a good soul in there somewhere; I just knew it.

Damon's arm was still thrown carelessly over my shoulder and as I stared at him, I couldn't help but think that he was my way out of all this, because somewhere inside, he was good.

It was forty-five minutes later when we pulled into an old shipyard, the silence eerie in light of the cloudy morning.

"Stay in the car until I call for you," Katherine ordered, and she proceeded to slip out and take a few hesitant steps away from the car.

She hadn't gotten far when I spotted two others stepping out from the ruined ships, approaching her with no air of fear. Damon was listening intently, and I knew they were probably talking, but I couldn't hear what was said from inside the car. I saw when Katherine motioned to us and Damon stepped out, taking my hand to lead me out with him. Only Lucy stayed put.

As I emerged, the two newcomers gasped, one man stepping forward for a better look before Katherine's hand shot out in warning. Damon still held my hand, but angled his body so he blocked me from the men.

"I need to get closer, ensure she's human," one spoke.

"That heart pounding in her chest not enough?"

"Katherine, we won't double-cross you. Klaus insists that we make sure."

Katherine nodded her head and stepped aside, but Damon remained firm, pushing me slightly further behind his body. The man approached us, but stared at Damon, waiting for him to move.

When it became obvious that wasn't going to happen, the man leaned over Damon's arm and… sniffed me?

"She's human," he confirmed.

"See Ethan, I told you," Katherine smiled. "Now, go back to your master and tell him we want to make a deal. He can use the number I gave you to contact me when he's ready."

Ethan looked to his partner, as if he was waiting for something, but when nothing happened, he started panicking.

"What are you waiting for, Maddox," he asked through clenched teeth.

"Something's wrong," the other man muttered, looking between the three of us.

"Did you really think we wouldn't come with a witch of our own," Katherine smirked.

Everything happened so quickly after that, my brain had to work to keep up. Ethan lunged for me, but Damon was there – impossibly fast – and in seconds, Ethan fell to the ground, his heart in Damon's hand. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find my voice through the shock. Damon simply wiped his bloody hand off on Ethan's jacket.

"Like I said, go talk to Klaus," Katherine ordered the startled Maddox, as Damon ushered me into the car.

I cringed away from his hand, which seemed to affect him on some level, and slid as far away from him as the back seat would allow.

"Well, that was interesting," Katherine commented before speeding away, leaving the dead man lying on the ground.

"You… you…," I started, but didn't know how to finish.

"He was a vampire, Elena. He was going to take you to Klaus. I thought you didn't want to go with him," Damon asked.

"I just want to go home."

"Will you please shut her up, Damon," Katherine yelled, but it wasn't necessary. I was too shaken up to say another word.

I stared out the window at the passing country as we drove, praying that this Anna girl was real, that she really was coming to help me. I didn't think I could survive another minute with these vampires.

Damon helped me out of the car when we pulled up in front of Ms. Delores' house again, but before we made it two steps towards the house, Katherine froze.

"Something's wrong; I smell blood."

"So do I," Damon agreed, shoving me behind him.

The four of us tentatively made our way to the porch, only to find Ms. Delores lying in front of the door… dead!

Before I could go into shock once more, Damon had me in his arms, launching us off the porch towards the car, but before we made it, he doubled over in pain. I looked down to find a wooden stake protruding from his side before he yanked it out. But in a blur, he was on the ground with what I could only guess was another vampire wrapping his hands around his neck.

Katherine was under attack too and when I looked for Lucy, I found her lying on the porch with a knife in her back. Who were they? Klaus' men? I was just about to search for a way to help Damon – deciding I'd rather be with him than Klaus – when someone grabbed me and in a flash, I was in the back seat of a car.

A dainty hand was pressed over my mouth and when I looked up, I saw the face of Anna. I couldn't believe it! I was actually rescued! All thoughts turned to Jeremy and my parents as I played out returning home in my head.

The vampire that had attacked Damon flew into the driver's seat and we started flying down the road.

"You sure about leaving Noah," he asked.

"He was an idiot. He would have screwed everything up eventually," Anna replied before turning back to me.

"Thank y–," I started, but she cut me off.

"Don't. I'll help you, but first I need you to help me."

"Help with what? I thought you were taking me home."

"Not yet. There something I need and Katherine has to help me get it, which is where you come in."

I couldn't believe it; I'd just come out of one bad situation to be thrown into another? Would I ever make it home? I was recklessly close to a breakdown, but I tried to hold it together.

"I have to get home! My parents are–"

"You might not want to go home. I have information about your parents."

"What?"

"I'll tell you all about your family's situation, but first I need you to help me."

"Yes, I'll do whatever you want. Just tell me what happened to my parents!"

"I'm… I'm afraid they didn't make it."

I was still staring at her, waiting for the words she'd uttered to make sense. My brain was a fogging mess, like I couldn't speak her language, but soon the words all came together in my head and I felt like I was falling.

NO!

They're not dead! They can't be! I'm only seventeen; I need them!

"I'm sorry Elena," Anna soothed, but I barely heard her. It felt like my heart was being sucked from my chest, ripping me apart with it, and I pulled Damon's jacket tighter to hold myself together.

**A/N: **I just love bringing all the old characters from season one back! Let me know what you think!


	5. Black Hole

**A/N:** I just want to say thanks to all the reviewers! You guys are great!

Chapter 5: Black Hole

Nothing.

There was nothing. I felt nothing; numb. All the tears inside my body had been expelled. There was nothing left inside. How could they be dead! Another tearless sob broke free of my body.

Jeremy! He was all alone. I had to get back to him, but I just didn't have the strength. I couldn't even get off this bed. I'd barely glanced at the hotel room I'd been brought to. I didn't even know what state I was in. It didn't matter anymore, anyway. Anna was right; I didn't want to go home.

Part of me wished I could go back to yesterday when I didn't know. I'd rather be in the dark than know this. The last words I'd spoken to my parents kept replaying in my head.

_I'm already grounded, Dad._

That was it. Not 'I love you' or 'you mean so much to me.' The last words I spoke to my parents were filled with anger. I was complaining about being grounded when my parents only had seconds left to live! How could I have been so stupid!

Did they know how much I loved them? That no matter how angry I was in that moment, I wouldn't have traded them for anything in the world? And now, I'd never get the chance to tell them.

I honestly didn't know how long I'd been lying here, wrapped up in Damon's jacket, but the sunlight of morning was making its way across the room. Did I sleep at all? I couldn't remember. Looking around for the first time, mostly for a distraction, I saw the vampire from last night sitting on the other bed in the room, flipping through channels. There was something so familiar about him. I focused on that to keep my head from traveling back to my p…

Yes, I'd definitely seen him before. But where?

"Did you finally stop crying," he asked in a mocking tone. It should probably offend me, but I really didn't care.

"I know you."

"Yeah, high school. Ben; quarterback? Remember me?"

"You're a vampire?"

"Recently turned. Now stop asking questions. I'm not really supposed to be talking to you."

Ben returned his attention to the TV and I returned mine to staring at the ceiling. I was vaguely aware that I was hungry, but I didn't have the strength to move and find food. The front door opening startled me and the room was bathed in light for a moment.

"Ahhh, watch it Anna," Ben shouted.

I looked over to see him covering his face with his hands, his arms smoking. Smoking? Was he affected by the sunlight? When Damon and Katherine had walked me out to the car that day at the hotel, it had been sunny, I was sure. Not that it mattered.

"Why can't I get one of those nifty daylight things," he complained.

"You'll get one when you earn it. Now you," she spoke, approaching me where I lay unmoving. "It's time to call Katherine and set this plan in motion. Sit up."

I didn't move, couldn't, but Anna wasn't taking no for an answer. She yanked me up by my arm and pulled out her phone.

"What do you need Katherine for so bad anyway," I asked.

"Its kind of a long story. Basically, my mom's in trouble and only she can help me."

"And you really think Katherine will help you?"

"She will if she wants you back."

Back? What was she talking about? I wasn't going back to Katherine. That's why she rescued me!

"But… I thought you were taking me home!"

"Sorry, I wanted you complacent while I snatched you. Couldn't have you causing a scene, though for a moment I thought you actually wanted to help Damon Salvatore," she chuckled.

Damon. I pulled his jacket tighter, inhaling his scent again. It was odd, but thinking of him was oddly soothing. I know it shouldn't be, but there was always something in his eyes when he looked at me, something comforting.

Anna had the speaker phone on and I could hear it ringing on the other end. Within seconds, I heard Katherine's angry voice.

"Where is she? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Wow, what a temper. I guess now would be a bad time to tell you she's dead. Ben got hungry."

"You better be kidding!"

"Of course. I need your help."

"Let me guess, mother dearest is getting all shriveled in that tomb and needs a drink. You know, it's really unfortunate how that happened."

"Save it, Katherine. If you want your doppelganger back, meet me in Mystic Falls, at the tomb, tonight. And you and Damon better have that crystal."

Mystic Falls? They'd brought me back home!

"Oh, we're closer than you think. See you tonight."

Anna shoved the phone back in her pocket while I was still reeling from the news of our location. There was only one hotel in Mystic Falls. I knew exactly where we were; about fifteen minutes from my house! If I could just get out of here, I could make it back to… to Jeremy. Just Jeremy.

But he was all that mattered!

"I have to make the preparations for tonight. Make sure she stays put. If she doesn't listen, use compulsion," Anna ordered, ignoring the kiss Ben tried to place on her cheek.

"Alright. Leave it to me," Ben called after her, wincing again as she threw open the door.

"Compulsion," I asked.

"Mind-control. It's a vampire thing," Ben answered. "And, you know, it could make our time together a little more enjoyable."

"You're sick," I muttered, rising to find the bathroom. I needed the time alone to think.

Staring in the mirror, I looked worse than ever. The tear tracks were still clear on my face. I pushed the sleeves of Damon's jacket up and ran the cold water over my hands, splashing it on my face. It was time to think. There had to be a way out of here. But Ben was a vampire, and based on the time I'd spent with Damon, I couldn't outrun him and I wasn't strong enough to fight him off.

So, what could I do? Sunlight. He was hurt by sunlight. That had to be my way out. But I had to keep him from getting suspicious. Could he really compel me to do whatever he wanted? I tried to think back through my time with Damon and Katherine to remember if they'd used it on me, but I couldn't think of anything that stood out. Was there something I did with them that I wouldn't normally do?

My first thought was the feelings I'd started to have with Damon. Had he compelled me to feel that way towards him? No, he seemed just as surprised as me when I turned to him for help yesterday morning, when I thought Katherine was handing me over to be taken. Maybe they didn't…

The hotel!

Walking through the hotel, I wanted to scream, to ask for help, but for some reason I'd decided it wasn't a good idea to draw attention to myself. It didn't make any sense? Had they compelled me?

"Hey, you gonna stay in there all day," Ben called, pounding on the door.

Diligently, I turned on my heel and opened the door, pushing past him and collapsing on the bed again.

"You heard Anna, I don't want any trouble," he reminded me, resuming his channel surfing.

But his attention wasn't focused on the TV, but on me. How was I supposed to make a move against him with him watching me constantly? Maybe it was better to wait, let him drop his guard. To pass the time, I started digging through Damon's jacket, curious as to what a vampire carried with them.

The first pocket turned up old receipts to a liquor store. The second was empty. Well, that wasted no time. I started digging around, looking for pockets on the inside and finally found one. Unzipping it I dug around until I found something in the bottom. It felt like jewelry. It was a leather bracelet, with beads woven into it. Upon closer examination, it looked like the beads had little clasps on them. Did they open?

I slid it on my wrist, pulling the tie until it fit. It was pretty, but all this had only taken a few minutes and Ben was still watching me. And then, my grumbling stomach gave me an idea.

"I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Oh yeah, Anna bought these for you.

To my disappointment, he simply tossed me a protein bar, instead of calling in a pizza or going to get something. I was pretty hungry, though, so I tore into the chewy bar while I contemplated my next move.

I was restless and as I chewed, I paced, with Ben's eyes on me the whole time.

"Will you just sit back down? There's a much less chance I'll hurt you that way," he threatened.

"I'm tired of sitting. It's not like I could get out of here anyway."

I was close to the curtains and tried to keep my face bored as I inched closer. When he didn't leap up to stop me, I lunged for the curtains, but his hand on my arm pulled me back.

"Nice try," he laughed, throwing me down on his bed. "Now, don't open that and don't do anything to escape."

His pupils dilated as he gave his order and I wondered if he was trying to compel me. I didn't feel any different. As soon as he seemed satisfied, he released me and picked up his cell, starting to pace the room while he waited on whoever he was calling to pick up.

"Anna. She tried to escape, but I did that compulsion thing you showed me," he explained, his back to me as he talked.

I analyzed myself, but I didn't feel any different; I still wanted to bolt out the door, so maybe it hadn't worked. He couldn't run out in the sun, and the door was so close. While he bragged, I ran for the door throwing it open.

My foot made it outside before I felt his arms around my waist, pulling be back into the room and throwing me back on the bed. When he turned on me, he was furious, with his burned face healing before my eyes.

"I told you not to do that. I compelled you just like Anna taught me! Why didn't it work?"

Roughly, he climbed on top of me, forcing me down into the pillows as he held my face in place, staring deep into my eyes like he was searching for something.

"Now you've made me mad, and when I get mad, I tend to get hungry."

I watched his eyes go a deep, menacing red with the black veins pulsing down his face. The fangs protruded from his gums and before I could scream for help, they came down on my throat, slicing through my skin. When he bit down harder I screamed out in pain, only to have his hand come down hard over my mouth.

A second later, he was gone, and I heard a thud as he slammed into the opposite wall.

"What do you think you're doing," Anna yelled. "We need her alive!"

"She tried to escape. It was a punishment."

"I didn't even make it three blocks before there was trouble. I have to trust you, Ben! I thought you said you compelled her."

"I did; it didn't work. I don't understand; I did everything you told me."

Anna approached me now, pulling my face up to hers and staring deep into my eyes. "Stand up," she ordered, her eyes dilating just like Ben's had. She moved back and waited, but I was feeling weak from the blood loss. Maybe this mind control thing was all in their head.

"She has to be on vervain. I'll be back in ten minutes, will you watch her for real this time."

"Where are you going," Ben asked.

"To get rope. She can't try to escape if she's tied up."

The rest of the day was… uncomfortable to say the least. They kept me tied to a chair and even if I'd had the strength, I still couldn't get free of the ropes. A bandage had been slapped on my neck so I didn't bleed to death, but it still hurt every time I turned my head. I was never offered water, or any more food. For the first time since the accident, I wished I'd died in that car with my parents and as thoughts of them crept back in, so did the tears.

The sun finally descended in the sky and I knew it wouldn't be long now. I was actually excited to get back to Katherine, at least I'd had plenty to eat. A soft knock sounded on the door and Ben leapt up.

"That's Anna. Time to go, finally," he complained, but when he threw open the door, it wasn't Anna on the other side.

It was Damon!

I never thought I'd be happy to see a vampire. In one swift move, he removed Ben's heart from his body, who limply slumped to the floor, eyes still wide open in surprise.

"Damon," I croaked out.

He smirked at me, but I could see real relief in his eyes. Quickly, he undid the ropes and my weakened body slid of the chair. Damon pulled me up into his arms, gently lifting up the bandage.

"Ouch. That looks painful," he commented.

I nodded and flinched when the movement pulled at the wound.

"I can heal you, Elena, unless you enjoy pain," he offered, voice soft.

"How?"

"Vampire blood heals."

He stared deep into my eyes and even though I wasn't sure I even believed him in that moment, I felt that he was the only one I could trust now. I nodded weakly and he brought his wrist up to his lips, eyes darkening and fangs piercing his perfect skin. At first, I recoiled when he brought his bloody wrist to my lips, but I really wasn't in the mood to argue at the moment.

Hesitantly, I brought my lips over his wound and sucked delicately, waiting for the bitter taste to slide down my throat. But to my surprise, it tasted kind of sweet. I sucked harder, enjoying the sensations that ran through my body as I drank. The pain seemed to fade away and I could actually feel the bite in my neck healing. He never complained that I drank too much or pulled away, just stroked my hair and once, I even thought I felt his lips on my forehead.

Finally, I pulled away, satisfied when all the pain was gone. I ran my fingers over my now smooth neck and smiled.

"Let's get you out of here," he offered, helping me to my feet.

I wanted to beg him to take me home; I was so close, but before I got the chance, he whipped around and pushed me behind him.

"No need to be alarmed. I'm not here to fight," the man explained, walking casually through the door with an air of elegance about him. Based on the way Damon tensed, the man must have known he was staring down a vampire, but his face showed no fear.

"Who are you," Damon asked, the menace a clear warning in his voice. Any normal man – or vampire for that matter – would probably back down, but this one didn't.

"I'm Elijah."

**A/N: **I couldn't help bringing in my favorite original! Sorry for the lack of Delena in this chapter, but I promise there will be much more to come!


	6. Ally

**A/N:** As always, I just want to offer my thanks for the reviews and to everyone who put this on their story alert!

Chapter 6: Ally

"Elijah? I take it you're not here on vacation," Damon jibbed, keeping his tensed stance in front of me.

"I'm here for the same thing you are. I know what you and Katherine have planned for the girl, but do you really think she'll ensure your life is spared too?"

Damon didn't respond, just continued to stare down the stranger, but I could see the tension in his back. I knew he didn't trust Katherine. It was obvious.

"So, what's your plan," Elijah continued. "You don't have one yet, do you?"

"Are you gonna talk me to death, or can we just get to the point," Damon responded, the slightest hint of fear in his taunting.

"Instead of simply handing the doppelganger over to Klaus, I have a plan in place to kill him. I think that would serve both yours and Katherine's agenda."

"You're just gonna kill him? Really? Aren't you one his minions; how do I know this isn't some trick?"

"I give you my word."

"Oh, well, that clears up everything," Damon taunted, sarcastically.

"It might mean nothing to you, but I live by a code of honor. Klaus has wronged me and I will see him dead at my feet. But judging by your stance in front of the girl, I'm assuming your life isn't all you're worried about."

Something in my heart lurched at his words, though this was not the time or place to dwell on it.

"Just protecting my assets."

"Is that really all it is? Maybe it would help make up your mind if I told you I can ensure her life as well."

"How?"

"I only need her as bait. Once we lure Klaus out, I will kill him."

"Just like that? Something tells me he wouldn't have lasted this long if it was that easy."

"The means are… complicated. But I assure you he can be killed, Elena will go free, as will you and your brother."

"And Katherine?"

"I have my own plan for her. You don't have to make a decision now. Klaus is out looking for Katherine, who, as you well know, is more than capable of staying under his radar. I'll give you two days, and if you won't willingly hand her over, I'll simply take her."

"What's stopping you from taking her now? I know I can be intimidating, but you don't seem like the intimidated type."

"I have a few loose ends to tie up first; I trust you'll keep her safe until I come for her."

With a parting glare, Elijah simply turned and walked back out the door as calmly as he'd entered. This all seemed so surreal.

"Well, that was… illuminating," Damon murmured, turning to face me. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?"

"I'm not sure yet."

He took my hand, leading me outside into the dark night. It was drizzling, but the rain felt good after being tied to a chair for most the day. Damon opened the door to his car for me, helping me in and in a flash, was seated beside me, starting the car.

"I know you can't let me go," I started, dredging up the courage that I knew was buried in me somewhere. "But my house is so close. I just want to see my brother, make sure he's okay. Then I'll go with you, anywhere you want."

"Yeah, so you can run to Mommy and tell her what the big bad vampires did," he scoffed.

But I couldn't answer him, even if I'd wanted to. The reminder of my parents was like a punch in the gut, and I suddenly couldn't pull enough oxygen from the air. I couldn't find my lungs at all.

"Look, I know you miss your family and all that, but no matter how sad you act, I'm not taking you home," Damon sneered, oblivious to the depression I was falling deeper and deeper into.

When I still didn't comment, he finally looked over at me. I had no idea what expression I wore at the moment, but his face turned from cold and sarcastic to worried and I felt the car slow.

"What is it? Are you hurt," he asked, but I still couldn't answer him, just stare back into his blue eyes. I felt like, maybe if I got lost in them deep enough, I'd forget about all this pain. He seemed to grow more worried by the second and finally, the car rolled to a stop.

His hand reached out to cup my face, and he pulled me closer, staring intently, like he was trying to lift the answer to my black mood straight through my eyes. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang in his pocket, but he didn't break eye contact with me to answer it.

"Katherine," he stated. It was quiet for a moment as she spoke on the other end. "Yeah, I have her… Actually, there's been a change of plans. I'm not bringing her back to you."

My eyes widened and he allowed a tiny smile to brighten his face as Katherine shouted at him.

"Sorry, looks like you're on your own," he finished, cutting off her next rant and shoving the phone back into his pocket.

"You're not taking me back to her? Does that mean–"

"You're not going home."

The hope that had started to well up inside me deflated like a balloon and I slumped back into the seat as the car started moving again.

"Think about it, Elena. If I take you home while Klaus is still looking for you, it will lead him right back to your fam… your brother." He was careful not to mention my parents, apparently figuring out what had me so distressed. "I think we should wait and see what this Elijah guy has to say."

"You really think Klaus would go after Jeremy?"

"He's a legend, Elena. According to Katherine, he killed her entire family for betraying him."

"He what…"

Jeremy! He was all I had left. I couldn't think of him dying because of me. Not after what happened to my parents…

Something occurred to me then, as the thought of their death brought back that night in the car. I'd forgotten, in my downward spiral; the person in the road.

"That night my parents' car went over the bridge… there was someone standing in the road. That's why my dad swerved. Was that… do you think that was Klaus trying to get to me?"

"You really haven't figured that out yet," Damon asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Katherine pulled you out of the water and left your parents for dead. It really never occurred to you that she was the reason they drove over that bridge?"

My face was frozen in whatever expression happened to be there before he'd spoken, my brain too focused on keeping me from falling apart on the inside. I couldn't grasp the fact that I'd been staying in a house with my parents' murderer! How could she be so cold and heartless?

Damon reached over to trail his fingers down my face, alerting me to the fact that I was crying.

"She was never supposed to do that, Elena. The agreement was that she'd grab you and I'd help her deliver you to Klaus. No one was supposed to die."

As he spoke the words, they sounded wrong coming through his lips, like he wasn't used to showing sympathy or something. But that wasn't the only thing that registered in my head.

"Did you know? When I told you what happened to my parents, did you know she caused that accident?"

My voice faltered through my sobs, but I never tore my gaze from his face.

"Yes, I knew. It was obvious."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What does it matter? They're dead either way. Every human has to die, Elena. It was their time to go. Now can we pick another subject?"

Katherine was right. _Vampires don't feel; they don't care._ As her words echoed in my head, I felt the world blur out of focus as more tears welled up in my eyes. How could I have put any faith in a vampire?

I have to get out of this car!

As the urge struck – the indescribable urge to get away from him – I started to throw the door open, not caring how fast the car was traveling at the moment. I had to get out!

"What are you doing," he yelled, grabbing my arm as the door flew open. "I'm running sixty. You can't just throw yourself out of the car."

"Don't touch me! I'm going home!"

"Elena, please don't make me compel you."

"It's not like you haven't done it before!" As the words left my mouth I instantly regretted them. The last thing I wanted was for him to know that I knew more about vampires than what he'd told me.

"You're telling me you wouldn't have screamed if I hadn't? You would have probably kicked me in the balls and ran to the first person you found."

"Of course I would have. But nothing gives you the right to mess with my head!"

"Elena, this is a kidnapping. I don't think rules of etiquette apply."

"Whatever. You know, why don't you just take me back to that Elijah guy back there. I think I'd rather be kidnapped by him."

"You don't even know who he is. If that's the same Elijah Katherine told me about, then no, you don't want to be with him. He's a lot older and stronger than even me. Besides, I doubt he's as fun to be around as I am."

"You're not fun, Damon. You're a monster! A cold, heartless monster!"

"That's it," he spat, slamming on the brakes in the middle of the road, all humor leaving his face. "You're not going to say another word until I tell you. You will not try to throw yourself out of the car or escape in any way."

I watched as his pupils dilated, remembering that tell-tell sign of compulsion from Ben, but just like before, I felt no different and a smile of triumph spread across my face.

"I think you'll have to learn a new trick," I whispered maliciously.

For a second, his face was in utter confusion, until his eyes finally landed on the jacket I still wore… and then the bracelet on my wrist. Why the bracelet? Instead of more anger, a smirk lit up his face.

"You know, speaking of etiquette, it's not polite to snoop through someone else's pockets."

"What do you mean?"

"The beads in that bracelet are stuffed with vervain. It's an herb that prevents compulsion."

Oh. So that's why neither Ben nor Damon could compel me.

"Why do you have it? Did you steal it from someone who was trying to protect themselves from you?"

"No. Katherine thinks these old vampires can compel us. It was for my protection, but luckily I have more than one."

He held up his own wrist, revealing an identical bracelet. Then he reached out and snatched my wrist, running his thumb over the leather.

"Let me guess, you're taking it so you can compel me again," I snorted, trying very hard to keep from crying again. This was the only thing protecting me from his abilities; I'd already lost so much, would he really take my free will too?

"Keep it. It looks good on you. Now, look, if I promise not to keep any more secrets from you, will you stop trying to escape? You wouldn't get very far anyway."

"On one condition. Elijah made it sound like whatever Klaus had planned would kill me. What does he want with me?"

Damon sighed, staring deep into my eyes while he thought through his answer.

"Katherine didn't tell me until yesterday, after Anna took you. Honestly, I didn't really care, I was just curious. Klaus was willing to kill for you and she said he'd stake us for losing you. Apparently, the curse he needs to break requires blood. Your blood. As in sacrifice."

My head started spinning and for a second, I thought I would pass out. Could what he was saying really be true?

"So if Klaus gets me, he'll kill me," I choked out.

"Yeah, pretty much. But… I can't believe I'm actually saying this… I'm gonna help you."

"Really?" I hadn't meant that one word to sound so desperate, but after finding out about my parents' death and being kidnapped and having no one… I needed him.

"Yeah. We'll hide out until Elijah comes for us and hear out his plan. Okay?"

"Why? Not that I'm not grateful, I am. But, why do you care? I thought all humans had to die?"

"I don't know. Temporary insanity? Or maybe I just need a little action, I don't know."

"Or maybe you actually care."

"Don't get your hopes up. Now, buckle your seatbelt," he ordered, putting the car in drive once again.

We rode in silence from there, the radio just white noise in the background, too low for me to even recognize the songs. My sleeplessness from the night before was finally catching up with me and I found myself drifting in and out as he drove, the sound of the tires on the pavement lulling me to sleep.

I finally came to when we pulled in somewhere, but I was too groggy to tell if it was a house or a motel. It could have been a dream, but I swore I felt Damon's arms ghost under me and scoop me up, holding me tightly to his chest as he carried me inside.

~TVD~

I could feel the sun warming my face, and I realized I must have left my curtains open last night. Oh well, the sun felt good. I wasn't sure if it was a school day or not, but I hoped Dad had cooked, I was starved. In fact, I was pretty sure I'd never been this hungry in my entire life. I was suddenly aware of an armed draped across my waist. Had Jeremy gotten scared and snuck in my room last night? That would be odd; he hadn't done that since he was seven when he used to have those terrible nightmares.

The reminder of Jeremy brought with it the events of the past few days.

My eyes shot open. I was not at home, I was in an unfamiliar bedroom and my dad wasn't cooking me breakfast… because he was dead.

Before the pain could overwhelm me, I pushed it away, deciding to focus on getting out of this mess instead. But that still left the arm draped over my waist. I analyzed the hand, noticing a big ring on the middle finger with a dark stone. I'd never paid much attention to Damon's hands – too distracted by his face – but I vaguely remembered him wearing a ring.

I attempted to turn, trying not to jostle the arm, and make sure it really was Damon I was sharing a bed with. Sure enough, as I turned I was met with his angelic face, his dark hair lying haphazardly across the pillow. All the coldness was stripped from his face, and he actually looked peaceful. It took every ounce of restraint in my body to keep from stroking that perfect face.

"Enjoying the view," he mumbled, startling me.

"I-I didn't know you were awake."

"Light sleeper." Slowly, he opened his blue eyes, smiling as he tightened his arm around me.

"Where are we," I asked, wondering just how far we'd driven while I was asleep.

"Tennessee. I have an… acquaintance… out here who can help us."

The way he said "acquaintance" sounded like he meant just the opposite and I wondered what bleak history he had with this person who was supposed to help us.

"And it smells like she's making you a bowl of cereal," he commented.

"Cereal? You can smell cereal from the kitchen?"

"I'm a man of many talents."

He jumped out of bed, more graceful than anything I'd ever seen, and for a moment I blushed at seeing him without his shirt on. His bare chest was just as perfect as his face. I stumbled out of bed, thankful that he'd only removed my shoes and his jacket before placing me in bed.

As we entered the kitchen, I spot the bowl of cereal on the table beside a glass of orange juice and hoped whoever was here was human. But that hope was squashed by the sudden appearance of a girl with silky blond hair.

"You've got some nerve tracking me down," she stated in a cold voice, eyeing Damon with disdain.

"It's nice to see you too, Lexi."

**A/N:** Elena and Damon are finally getting closer! And I couldn't resist bringing Lexi back; I loved her!


	7. Use Somebody

Chapter 7: Use Somebody

I listened to Damon and Lexi argue while I polished off two bowls of cereal, still not quenching my insatiable appetite. The one protein bar I was given yesterday had long since left my stomach and it snarled as I inhaled my food. And I was thirsty, so thirsty! It felt like I'd drank a gallon of water by the time I was satisfied.

Lexi had led Damon into the living room so I could eat in peace and I followed their angry voices.

"Whatever trouble you're in, I don't want to be in the middle of it," Lexi shouted.

"Don't tell me you're scared of a little adventure," he quipped back, flashing her his trademark smirk.

"You said Klaus, Damon. I didn't even think he was real until I saw _her_!"

Lexi motioned to me and they both stared for a moment, and finally, Damon's cold face softened, losing some of his dark humor.

"She's one of the reasons I want your help," he explained.

"Don't tell me you've actually started to care again. I thought you said you fried that switch?"

"It doesn't matter what I feel. _You_ care. We both know that you hate the thought of letting her die."

Lexi scoffed, crossing her arms and trying hard not to look at me as the next words left her mouth.

"You're wrong Damon. I have a really nice life with my boyfriend right now and I'm not about to throw that away for some girl, no matter who she is."

"Okay," Damon continued, eyes flashing momentarily to meet mine. "If you won't do it for an innocent girl, what about Stefan?"

This was only the second time I'd heard Damon mention his brother and as he said his name now, I could hear the emotion brewing deep in his voice. But the effect that name had on Lexi was nothing I had anticipated.

"Stefan? You know where he is? What does he have to do with this?"

"I thought that'd get you moving. Apparently, he's been Klaus' little lap dog since the twenties. Once Klaus is dead, he'll be free to go."

Lexi contemplated his words, staring out the front window, and finally she turned.

"I'll go with you, but my boyfriend can't find out. You said this Elijah would find you in a couple days?"

"Yep."

"Alright. But you and your girlfriend have to stay somewhere else; Nathan will ask too many questions if you stay here, and honestly he doesn't take well to jerks."

It was obvious that Lexi had no tolerance for Damon, but he seemed satisfied and turned back towards the room we'd shared the night before.

"So, she'll help us," I asked, following him into the bedroom.

"Don't sound so excited. Taking down Klaus won't be easy. Now, I need you to stay here for a couple hours."

"What? Why, where are you going," I asked, the panic clear in my voice.

"You want me that bad," he taunted, suddenly right in front of me.

"No," I stated, forcefully willing the word to be true.

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon. I just need to find us a place to stay and grab something to eat."

"Eat? You mean… blood? Are you breaking into a hospital or something?"

"Actually, I'm in the mood for something a little warmer."

He eyed my neck seductively, hinting at exactly what he wanted, and I quivered under his stare. Somehow, over the course of the last few hours, I'd forgotten what him being a vampire actually meant. How had I let myself become so blind?

"You're going to kill somebody?"

"No. Not that I'd mind, but I'm trying to stay under the radar. You know, with the growing list of people that want to kill us."

"You're not going hunting at all," Lexi yelled through the door, opening it a second later to toss him a blood bag. "Take that and go. Nathan will be home any minute."

"How kind of you," Damon remarked sarcastically.

He snatched his coat off the chair in the corner, probably where he'd tossed it after taking it off me and shoved the blood bag in the pocket.

"Get your shoes on," he instructed, already hurrying out of the room. I did as I was told, running to catch up with him. He was already outside, starting the car and I jumped in the passenger seat.

"Where are we going," I asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"Don't know yet. Probably another hotel room. Katherine will expect me to go for fancy, so I'm looking for… standard." He made a face on the word 'standard' and I assumed he was used to the best. I could see it in him; why would a vampire settle for second best? While we drove, I thought back to the questions I'd wanted to ask him at Lexi's; mostly the statement of his brother in the twenties.

"You said your brother had been with Klaus since the twenties. So, how old are you, anyway?"

"Is this your idea of road trip bonding?"

"I guess. We are kind of stuck with each other."

"Fine. Stefan and I were turned in 1864 by Katherine… sort of."

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?"

"Katherine started my transition, but you have to die. My father was the one that killed us."

"Your father?" I couldn't form a sentence, I was in shock. How could a father kill his son?

"As shocking as it is, I'd rather not get into the 'my father never loved me' conversation right now."

"Okay then, if we weren't in this situation right now, would you be out there killing someone?" The question came out a little more forceful than I'd planned, but I couldn't rectify the idea that he was a true monster.

"Most likely. The blood tastes best when it's fresh."

"And, you're okay with that; with killing people."

"I'm a vampire, Elena. That's what we do."

"But those people you kill have families and lives and dreams. You can't just–"

"And I don't care."

"Yes, you do!"

"Excuse me?"

"You care, Damon. I can see it in your eyes when you talk to me. If you didn't, you wouldn't be challenging Klaus. You'd just hand me over to save yourself and you wouldn't care what happened to me or your brother. You care, Damon."

For a second, he looked like he had an angry retort planned, but instead simply focused on the road, never responding to my accusation. It was true then; this beautiful, but deadly, vampire really cared for me in some way. Why did that truth bring a smile to my face when I shouldn't have any left?

While we drove, he pulled the blood bag from his pocket, tearing it open and downing it in seconds. I had to look away while he "ate." But he didn't seem offended, still ignoring me. After only twenty minutes of driving, we pulled over at a Motel 6 that looked like it hadn't been updated since the seventies.

"Well, this looks… scary," he commented, looking over the motel with disdain. I followed him to the desk, not really paying attention as he spoke to the desk clerk, though I did note that he'd used compulsion in order to remain anonymous. But since I hadn't listened to the actual words coming from his mouth, I was all the more surprised when he opened the door, revealing only a single bed.

"I thought it would make things a little more cozy," he commented, watching my eyes go wide as I took in the small bed."

"They really didn't have a room with two beds?"

"Guess not. The more important question to ask is what will you be sleeping in tonight?"

That took me off guard. I didn't have anything except the clothes on my back and I doubted a shopping trip was on the agenda with so many people after us.

"My clothes, I guess."

"You can make yourself comfortable. It's not like I haven't seen it before."

The memory of that first day we'd met, when I'd been too sore to undress myself, sent a blush over my cheeks. It was still embarrassing to think that he'd seen every part of me, but he didn't push it. I heard the click as the door closed behind him and it hit then.

I was in a hotel room alone with Damon.

My heart was pounding in my chest, my palms getting sweaty the more I thought about being in this tiny room alone with him for two days. I barely knew him and it was no secret that his intentions were far from honorable. It didn't help that every time I looked at him my knees felt too weak and my stomach twirled. He moved around the room, checking the view from the window, and then the bathroom.

"Well, it's not the Ritz, but it's not the worst I've seen. Maybe they'll have some tasty room service," he allowed.

"I hope so; I'm still hungry. I didn't eat anything yesterday."

As soon as the words were out, I realized what he'd meant… he didn't mean actual food. I blushed at my misstep, but he only smirked.

"I know you're a vampire and all that, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't kill anyone." I tried to make my voice sound firm and nonchalant, hoping he would see the true fear I felt of that side of him. "I know you have to eat, but–"

"Don't worry; I'm staying under the radar, remember. Besides, I can feed without killing."

"How?" I didn't really want to know, but curiosity was getting the better of me and the more we talked – even though it was about his feeding habits – the more relaxed I started to feel.

"Compulsion. I only take what I need and then compel them to forget."

"And you feed them your blood to heal them," I guessed, running my hand over the now perfect skin at my neck.

"No, I can't just give that to random people."

This confused me. If his blood healed, there could be so many possibilities. People with fatal injuries could live and all the diseases. Why wouldn't he help people when he had such an amazing gift?

"Why not."

"Can we pick a different topic? All this talk of feeding is making me hungry and you smell amazing."

He stalked closer, his blue eyes hypnotizing, but I refused to be derailed. There was something odd about his aversion to share his healing blood and I wanted an answer.

"Why don't you want to help people with your blood?"

He stopped, only inches away, and stared at me long and hard.

"You won't like the answer."

I waited, watching the uneasiness on his face, but soon it melted away as the cold mask took its place.

"If you die with vampire blood in your system you'll come back… as a vampire."

I continued to stare at him. At first he seemed to be growing taller, but then I realized I was sinking, falling down on the bed. Still I stared at him, not letting the words take root in my mind. Because I couldn't think about this. But if something happened while his blood was…

"Elena," he called, suddenly kneeling down right in front of me. "It not… I won't let anything happen to you. It will be out of your system by tonight. I promise you'll be safe."

I wanted so bad to believe him, but there were so many people after us and if Klaus found us first he'd kill me. I didn't want to be a vampire! I didn't want my face to look demonic at the smell of blood! I didn't want to die!

Hurt came across Damon's face briefly before he pushed it away, but the concern never completely left his eyes. I was waiting for him to say something witty or offending, anything to take my mind off this new revelation, but he didn't say a word.

He kissed me!

It was a soft kiss at first, but as my arms snaked around his neck to pull him closer, the passion started building and soon all I could think about was his expert lips assaulting mine and the way his strong arms held me. I wasn't aware he'd pulled me further onto the bed until I felt the soft mattress under my back and his firm body on top of mine.

I'd never felt the intensity with which he kissed me before! It was hungry, but filled with emotion. Everything else was hazy, everything outside of him. I couldn't remember the conversation we'd just been having, or the home I wanted to return to, or the vampire who wanted to kill me. There was just Damon.

Suddenly, I couldn't get close enough to him, couldn't stand that our clothes were keeping me from feeling the smoothness of his skin on mine.

But just as a moan of pleasure escaped my lips, he pulled away!

I stared up at him incredulously. Wasn't this what he'd wanted all along? There was some emotion in his eyes he was trying desperately to hide. He brought his hand up to stroke my face, as gently as if I was made of glass. So careful, almost with a reverence, like he wasn't worthy to touch me.

And then he was off the bed, stretching out his muscles and when he looked back down at me, the emotionless smirk was there.

"I'd say that distraction worked."

"Excuse me," I choked out, breathlessly.

"You sounded like you needed something to get your mind off the whole vampire thing. I'd say it was a success."

Was he really doing this? Did he think he could just pretend there was no emotion what-so-ever in what he'd just done? I could feel it! But he was standing here looking down at me like it meant nothing to him. Like I meant nothing to him. Abruptly, I felt too exposed and almost dirty.

"I can hear people talking in the next room. I'm going to grab a bite to eat, and don't worry, I won't kill anyone. You should see what's on pay-per-view."

He simply strolled out of the room, locking the door behind him. I was still lying on the bed, dazed. But the shock soon turned to anger. Sitting up, I snatched the remote off the bedside table and started channel surfing, flipping too fast to really see what was on. That quickly became boring and I jumped off the bed, too keyed up to remain sitting any longer. I decided to take a shower, since Lexi had thown us out too fast for me to grab one, but in my hurry I was out in a mere five minutes. Dressed in the same dirty clothes I'd had on before, I began pacing.

My pacing grew more frantic as I thought of what he must be doing in that room right now. The feeding. Every so often I'd glance at the clock. Ten minutes passed, then sixteen. As the twenty minute mark grew close I was starting to get impatient. How long did it take to… to do what he did. What if he really was killing someone right now? How could I stand here knowing what he was doing and not stop him? An innocent person could be dying!

Determined, I stomped out of the room, planning to give Damon a piece, no, a chunk of my mind. We were on the second floor at the end of the hall, so there was only one room next door if that's still where he was.

I made my way to the door slowly, suddenly feeling fear creep up, making my hands shake. Did I knock? No, this was an angry tirade; I wasn't going to use manners. Pulling my determination back up from my stomach, I gripped the knob, a little surprised to find it wasn't locked. The lights were dim, and I tip-toed through the door. Once inside I noticed the bed was occupied, but whoever was in it definitely wasn't sleeping. Surely if this was the room Damon was in he would have heard the door open, though I'd been quiet. There were two girls there and a third person in between them, rolling on top of the second girl. It was hard to see in the dim light, but his hair was dark. I knew I should just let myself back out. Damon was only planning on feeding and this was a lot more erotic than that, but I felt a determination to make sure it wasn't him in that bed.

I ghosted closer and as my foot hit a squeaky board in the floor, the man's head shot up. His face was illuminated in the lamp light and my heart broke in my chest as I recognized it. Damon's eyes were dark, but the fangs protruding from his lips dripped with blood. As he stared at me, one of the girls attempted to pull him back down to her, but he simply pushed her hand away, his face taking on a more human look as he stared at me.

So many emotions ran through me then; hurt, jealousy, anger, envy…

I couldn't take this anymore. I tore from the room, running back into our hotel room and slamming the door, locking it. But that wasn't enough. I ran to the bathroom and locked that door as well, collapsing in front of the toilet and trying not to be sick.

**A/N:** So, I couldn't find anywhere in the show that mentioned Lexi's boyfriend's name, so I named him myself. And I promise more Delena goodness to come!


	8. Love Hurts

**A/N: **I would like to thank all the reviewers and everyone who added this to their story alert! I would also like to add a warning to any younger readers that this chapter gets a little steamy.

Chapter 8: Love Hurts

"Elena! Elena open the door," Damon called, from the other side.

I didn't answer; I was too upset and I didn't trust my voice not to break. Instead, I sat on the edge of the bathtub and stared at my hands as he continued to knock.

"Come on, Elena. It's nothing personal. There's no reason to be so jealous."

The broken heart in my chest quickly gave way to rage at the taunting lilt to his speech. _Nothing personal?_ I'd just caught him in bed with two girls doing God knows what after he'd been kissing me just moments before! His emotions had been so clear in his eyes when he kissed me. I knew he felt something for me! Why else would he be planning to fight Klaus?

"It's lunch time. You can either stay in there and starve, or you can come out here and we'll order a pizza," he drawled.

But the memory of him "eating" only made my stomach turn. The last thing I wanted was to see his smug face. I never answered him and after a while, I heard him shrug off the door.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll be out here when you're ready to grace me with your presence."

That tone! He made me sound so spoiled, like I was a child throwing a tantrum. I had every right to be mad at him! Didn't I? Did I? It's not like we're together. He's just helping me escape from a vampire that wants to kill me, and then I'll probably never see him again. So why was I so upset by the thought of him with another woman – or two?

Besides, I have a boyfriend. Matt. How could I have forgotten about Matt? In truth, I hadn't thought about him once since this whole thing started. But it was different with Damon. Matt and I didn't have one tenth of the passion I felt with Damon. I've never felt this drawn to anyone. Ever.

And it was more than that. When he was attacked the night Anna had come for me, I felt truly terrified for him. I couldn't imagine anything happening to him, though I was still fighting desperately to go home at the time. And these feelings in me now; it was an intense jealousy. I felt mad enough to punch through a wall right now and that wasn't me. I wasn't usually this… this…

Crazy! He made me crazy!

But why? Why did Damon hold the power to lift me up to the sky when he was nice to me, but to rip my heart in two when he hurt me? Why did he have this power over me?

_When you love someone, it gives them the power to hurt you._ They were Aunt Jenna's words from one of the times she'd spent the night at our house. She'd just had a bad break-up with her boyfriend and I helped my mom comfort her. But those words kept running through my head. Was that why I was so drawn to Damon? Was it more than just the attraction?

As I thought of him now, my heart swelled with the memory of his crystal blue eyes and the way his hand would stroke my face – and the way he'd kissed me. But the pain intensified as I recalled the sight of him in that bed with those–

I jumped up and immediately stormed from the bathroom, finding him sprawled out on the bed. His eyes were closed but I knew he wasn't asleep.

"Why," was all I said. It was quiet but the anger I felt burned beneath my words and startled him. He was looking at me with a new intensity, clearly wondering why I was so upset. Didn't he know?

"Why what? Why did have sex with those women? I'm a man, Elena; I have needs and the blood tastes better with a little hint of adrenaline."

I didn't know what to say. The way he spoke, so matter-of-factly like that… I had to remind myself that although I had fallen in love with him, he might not love me. That thought was like a crushing weight and for the hundredth time since my kidnapping, I felt the hot tears slid down my face.

"Are you crying," he asked, standing from the bed and coming towards me. Once he was right in front of me, I felt his hand under my chin and he lifted my face to meet his.

"Why are you crying?"

"Tell me you don't feel it," I hissed.

"Feel what?"

"Tell me you don't feel anything when we touch. Tell me you have no emotions when you look into my eyes."

He continued to stare at me, eyes locked on mine, but he eventually dropped his hand and stepped back.

"I'm a vampire. We don't feel. I thought we already went over this."

His words were sardonic and light, like always, but there was something in his eyes this time. He knew the words weren't true, but he was fighting them. He continued to back away, even eyeing the door for a moment.

"That's not true and you know it! I've seen the emotions in your eyes, Damon. I know you care about me too."

"'Care about me too'," he quoted, staring at me curiously.

"I… I... I love you, Damon."

For a second, nothing changed. His expression was still curious, but then, all his walls began fading away. The cold mask faltered and fell away for good and he took a hesitant step in my direction.

"What do you mean?"

"I love you, Damon!"

This time there was no hesitation. In a blur of motions, his lips were on mine, fueling the passion that burned within us; searing us both with its intensity. It was like before, the world melted away until it was just us. Just Damon.

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. I needed to feel him against every part of me. Already, the feel of his hands roaming my body had a dizzying effect and when my knees gave out, he simply lifted me off the floor, laying me beneath him on the bed.

Our clothing was shed – almost an unconscious effort in our haste to be closer to each other. But it wasn't until his hand ran down my bare thigh, gently easing my legs apart that the fear struck. He must have noticed my caution, because his lips paused and he simply stared deep into my eyes.

"What is it," he asked, voice thick and husky; it only caused the fear to grow.

"It's just that… I've never actually…" I was too embarrassed to finish, but I prayed he understood the meaning behind my brief words. After a moment of searching my face, comprehension dawned on him.

"You're a virgin." It was a statement, not a question, and a sly smile crept onto his face.

I nodded and the smile widened as his lips ghosted to my ear. "Don't worry, I can show you how it's done." The feel of those same lips on the bare skin of my neck had my eyes rolling back in my head and I almost forgot what I needed to say. But it was important!

"Wait," I breathed, barely audible. But he didn't wait.

"I'm more of a 'take what I want when I want it' kind of guy." He said it like a joke, though it was anything but. I just needed to hear him say it.

"It's not that. I've been waiting because… because…"

He finally stopped his assault and brought his face back up to mine, awaiting my explanation and looking impatient. His left hand was currently running up from my hips to my chest and it made it hard to concentrate.

"I love you… but before we do this, I need to know… I need to know how you feel about me."

I'd closed my eyes, knowing that if I stared at that perfect face I would have never gotten that out, but now I was scared to open them. What if he said he didn't love me?

"Elena," he called. "Elena, open your eyes."

Timidly, I did as he instructed, staring back into the blue pools that had me captivated.

"Elena, the reason vampires don't feel emotion is by choice. It's like a switch in our heads that we can turn off. It makes the killing easier. But once it's off, it's kind of hard to turn back on. You can't just let in all the good emotions; you have to let in the bad ones too. I've never wanted to do that…"

My face dropped at his words and I could feel my heart being crushed inside my chest.

"Until now," he finished. "When I saw you tied to that chair, it was like the switch just snapped. I couldn't find it anymore. And now I don't want to. I love you, Elena."

The words were like a life raft thrown to a drowning man. And it was all I needed to hear. It was me who captured his lips this time, pulling him to me, and as the kisses grew more intense, I felt him slip inside me.

It hurt at first, like he was tearing me apart, but he went slow, trailing kisses from my lips, to my jaw, to my shoulder and back up. I clutched his shoulders as the pain shot through me with every thrust of his hips, but it started to fade. It started to feel good. Too good!

I couldn't hold back the moans of pleasure and Damon caught on, increasing his thrusts as my breathing sped. It was like he knew just what I needed and how I needed it, and we fit together so perfectly. My grip on him tightened as I tumbled over the edge into pure pleasure, with him following me and I felt his arms snake around me.

~TVD~

I felt amazing! Damon and I hadn't moved for the past hour. I lay in his arms and he stroked my hair, and neither of us wanted to leave the bed. I could feel his happiness radiating from him to me, and it matched my own. I knew there was planning that had to be done, things to worry about, but I just couldn't at the moment.

My stomach was finally starting to feel the first rumblings of hunger, but I didn't want to leave his arms to reach for the phone. Who cared if I starved, this moment was too perfect.

"Was that an earthquake or your stomach," Damon taunted.

"It wasn't that loud!"

Damon reached over me to where he laid his phone on the nightstand and dragged the phonebook onto his stomach, flipping through until he found a pizza joint.

"Yeah, I'd like one medium pizza with everything…" My stomach growled and he smiled again. "Make that a large."

He quickly gave them the name of the hotel and the room number before tossing the phone down on the bed and the phonebook in the floor.

"We have a good fifteen minutes before that pizza arrives. I can think of a few things we could do with our time."

Before I could respond, he pulled me on top of him and our lips met with renewed intensity. Would this hunger for him ever be sated? We must have lost track of time, and we were interrupted by a knock on the door. Damon pulled his pants on, not even bothering with the button, and made his way to the door. I blushed when the delivery guy noticed his tousled hair and lack of clothing and then tried to sneak a peek in the room.

"Uh, that'll be, uh… sixteen forty-seven, please," the boy stammered.

"Actually, it's free." I realized at once that Damon must be compelling him, and this bothered me more than I thought it would. Did it really matter that we'd just gotten out of buying a pizza?

"You didn't have to do that," I complained as he shut the door.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't have to do that compulsion thing. You shouldn't mess with someone's mind like that."

"And how was I supposed to pay for the pizza? With my invisible credit card?"

"No. I just think it's wrong. It's mind control."

"So? I didn't hurt him. Nobody died; we just got a free pizza."

"Yeah, but–"

"Stop. I'm a vampire and that's how I get the things I want. Now do you want this pizza or not." As he laid the box down on the bed in front of me, he began laying kisses to the hollow just beneath my ear and his hands explored beneath the covers. If he was trying to make me forget the argument it was working. I was struggling to remember my name, let alone why I was so mad at him a second ago. But my grumbling stomach wouldn't let me forget the need for food and with a laugh, he moved to sit beside me and let me eat.

The pizza was good and I took out three big slices myself while he only ate one.

"Is that really all you want," I asked, feeling a little greedy.

"It's not really what I'm craving. I didn't get to finish feeding earlier because someone got grumpy."

I scowled at the memory, but then a different feeling flooded my veins as he stared at neck. Would it really be so bad to have him bite me? For it to be me underneath those teeth, sustaining him, rather than another random girl? I didn't particularly like pain, but he did have to eat. I'm sure he would feel just as tired and weak as I did when I went without eating for a day.

"Will it hurt," I asked in a quiet voice.

"Elena, I was joking. Not that I don't want to."

"I'm not. If it's what you need, I want it to be me."

The look he gave me now was one of unfathomable awe, like he couldn't believe what I'd just offered. In a second, he was kissing me, pulling me too him. That was all it took for the passion to flare back up; for me to want him all over again. The heat inside me started building as his lips moved to my neck to lay soft kisses there, caressing the skin… and then I felt the scrap of teeth.

"Are you sure," he asked, pulling back to really look at me.

"Yes."

I watched as his eyes changed to the deep red I'd seen before, the dark veins pulsing into view as the fangs elongated. Gently, he kissed my neck one more time before I felt the sting of his teeth breaking through. It only hurt for a second, and then the sensation of his mouth sucking the blood from me roused unexpected feelings of pleasure within me. I'd expected to simply clamp my lips shut until it was over, but now I was enjoying it, wanting more of him.

I wrapped my legs around him as he lowered me back into the pillows, but before I was ready, he pulled away. I looked at him incredulously, but he only smirked, his face still wearing the mask that had once terrified me. Carefully, I ran my fingers over the throbbing veins, all the way down to his teeth, feeling the fangs before pulling his face down to meet mine in a kiss that had us picking up where we'd left off.

~TVD~

I awoke in the dark, realizing I must have fallen asleep after the second round. Damon had plunged me into such ecstasy that it was impossible for me to move and I must have fallen asleep in his arms. He was asleep now too, and the clock shown one in the morning. Though I felt pretty well rested, I didn't want to move.

That was, until Damon shot up from underneath me.

"What," I asked, but his hand came down hard over my mouth. He brought his fingers to his lips, instructing me to keep quiet and he silently moved to the window, pulling his pants on as he stared out across the parking lot. I could tell he was listening hard, straining his ears for any sound. And then, he motioned to my clothes on the floor and I immediately jumped up to pull them on. He seemed to dress in half the time it took me and quickly grabbed my hand, pulling me to the door.

Damon cracked the door and peered out, watching. I was just about to ask him what he saw when he started leading me out the door, keeping my body close to his. And then he froze, and I saw Katherine's dark hair as she exited the room a few doors down from ours. But then, something caught her attention and she turned, as if someone in the room had called her name. Using the distraction, Damon pulled me up in his arms and leapt from the balcony, landing silently.

He looked to his car for a second, but seemed discouraged by the thought of using that as our escape. Instead, he sped into the surrounding woods with me still in his arms.


	9. Treacherous Alliances

**A/N:** I'm back with the ninth chapter! Sorry for taking so long to update; things got in the way, but I hope you like it! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!

Chapter 9: Treacherous Alliances

I had no idea where we were. We flew through the trees too fast for me to see anything besides the blur of trees. How had Katherine found us? What would we do now? Questions flew through my head as fast as the trees whizzing by. Finally, Damon slowed as we neared town, sitting me on my feet but keeping my hand as he led me down the empty street lined with closed shops and restaurants. There was only one open; the bar at the end of the street, and he towed me towards it.

"We'll be closing down soon," the bartender shouted as we made our way inside.

Damon led us to the bar, disregarding the man's scowl, and looked him dead in the eyes with a serious expression.

"Do you have a room upstairs," he asked, and the man's face went slack.

"Yes, my apartment."

"Does anyone else live with you?"

"No."

"Good. You're going to invite me in and we'll be your guests for a while."

"Okay, I invite you in."

"Now, don't tell anyone we're up there and don't invite anyone else in."

The man resumed his task of wiping down the bar and Damon led me to the doors that led to the back room and then to a flight of stairs.

"What are we doing? Why don't we just leave town," I asked, confused as to why we didn't just grab a car and go.

"I want to stay close to Lexi. There aren't many vampires willing to help us."

"But what if Katherine finds us here?"

"She can't get in. A vampire has to be invited in. If she does find us, we'll have enough time to get away while she's trying to get in."

I nodded my head, trying to keep up. There were so many rules to this vampire thing. The stairs ended at a landing at the top and there was a door there. It opened to reveal a tiny room with a kitchenette and small living room. There was only one chair and the TV was at least ten years old. The place was such a mess that I didn't even want to step foot inside.

"I'm guessing he doesn't get laid much," Damon drawled, shutting the door behind us.

"How can he live like this? It's disgusting."

"Some people just have no taste." I actually felt sorry for this man, who clearly had no life outside his tiny bar, but Damon was only repulsed. It brought into more clarity just how different we really were.

"So what now," I asked, staring at the stained chair instead of sitting in it.

"Now, we wait for London Bridges to contact us, which will probably be tomorrow night."

"But how will he know where we are? You two didn't exactly exchange numbers."

"A witch, most likely. That's the only way he could have found us twice. I never really liked working with them. They're always so judgy."

"Do you think… could Katherine have used a witch? Anna killed Lucy, but what if Katherine knew another one."

"It's possible. Katherine has a lot of people that owe her favors, and she tends to collect."

The hatred was there in the way he spoke about her, and I wondered, as I had many times before, what the story was there.

"What happened between you two? I know she turned you, but there seems like a lot of history there."

"Oh, there is. I met Katherine when my brother and I were still human. She'd come to stay with us, spreading some lie about how her family had died in a fire or something. Stefan and I both loved her, or thought we did, and she couldn't choose between us. One night, the founding families started rounding up all the vampires; they planned on barbequing them in the old Fell's church. When they drug Katherine off, Stefan and I tried to save her, and that's when my self-righteous father shot us. Katherine had a witch maid named Emily; she was supposed to seal all the vampires in a tomb under the church to keep them safe from the fire, but apparently Katherine escaped."

"A tomb? Is that what Anna was talking about?"

"Yeah. Pearl was her mom. She was rounded up with the others. But I can't say I was sorry to see her gone. The tomb can only be opened every hundred and forty-five years when the comet passes over."

"But that won't happen for months."

"Apparently, Anna thought a witch powerful enough could open it sooner. Doesn't really matter; her mom's already mummified. She can't get any worse now."

"Mummified?"

"When a vampire goes without blood long enough, they start to get all shrively. They're still alive, but I hear it's a very painful process."

"And Katherine escaped."

"I thought she was trapped in the tomb like everybody else and I'd planned on releasing her as soon as the comet passed over, but instead, she found me five months ago. I have to say, she surprised me, and that's not easy to do. At first I didn't care what she'd done, I was just happy to have her back, but then I realized she never loved me at all. Burning the vampires in the church was her idea; she'd decided to fake her death to escape Klaus. But Klaus is smarter than her; he figured it out eventually and when he came for her, she made a deal with him. She brings him you in exchange for her life and if I didn't help her, she'd kill me."

This was so much to take in. Katherine was more than just a ruthless vampire. She was maniacal and heartless. And if she was running from Klaus, that meant he was probably worse than her. I didn't want to think about how difficult it would be to kill him.

"You tired," Damon asked, his hand lifting my face up so he could look into my eyes.

But as I stared back at him, I only felt the heat rise inside me as it always did at his touch.

"Nope, not at all."

"Good." He captured my lips and was slowly guiding us to the only other door in the apartment, which I assumed hid the bedroom. But as we pushed through the door, I tripped over something and he caught me before I hit the floor.

Looking down, I saw the room was covered with dirty laundry and CDs and old beer bottles.

"Oh, I am not doing anything in here," I complained.

"I bet I can put you in the mood." Damon ran his tongue down my neck all the way to my shoulder as his hand started working up under my shirt.

"Damon…" But my voice was barely a whisper and I knew he was right. He could make me forget everything in one kiss. But his ringing phone quickly brought things to a halt.

"It's Katherine," he muttered sourly as he stared at the caller id. He seemed to be considering not answering, but brought the phone to his ear instead.

"Lose something, Katherine?"

He sneered as she responded and I wished he would turn the speaker on so I could listen too. But his smug face soon turned troubled and I yanked on his arm, begging for details.

"Katherine has one of your friends," he explained.

"Who?"

He turned the speaker on then, holding the phone out so I could hear.

"Elena," Bonnie asked, her voice trembling.

"Bonnie? Are you okay? Why does Katherine have you?"

"It's really you," Bonnie sobbed. "I thought you were dead, and then I saw Katherine, and… and… I'm just so scared."

"Bonnie–"

"Hello Elena," Katherine greeted in her smug tone.

"Let her go, Katherine. This has nothing to do with her!"

"I can't. But don't worry; I won't hurt her as long as she does what I want. Poor little thing didn't even know she was a witch."

A witch? Bonnie wasn't a witch; I'd known her my whole life.

"No, she's not. Now let her go!"

"Oh, she's a witch all right. How do you think we found you?"

"Get to the point Katherine," Damon ordered.

"I just want my doppelganger back before Klaus kills me. He'll kill you too Damon. Did you think about that before you got all cozy with Elena?"

"I know what I'm risking."

"Really? And what's your plan? To run forever? Trust me, you'll never run far enough. He'll find you, and then poor Elena will have to watch you die."

"Don't underestimate me Katherine. I've learned a lot since 1864."

"If you're trusting Elijah, then you haven't learned enough."

"Goodbye Katherine."

Damon ended the call, staring at the phone as if waiting for it to explode.

"How does she know about Elijah," I asked.

"No idea. I've only heard her mention him a couple times." His phone was at his ear again and I was about to ask him who he was calling when the person on the other end picked up.

"Lexi, you wouldn't happen to know a way to stay under a witch's radar, would you?"

I waited, and a smile broke across his face.

"Good; then I think you should meet us now… No, a house. I need Katherine to stay outside in case she finds us… Great."

Shutting off the phone this time, he took my hand and brought me to the window.

"What are we doing?"

"Lexi's getting us a new safe house."

He shoved the window open, looking down at the alley below.

"Can't we just go through the front door," I asked nervously. I knew he'd never let me get hurt, but the jump looked intimidating from up here.

"Now where would be the fun in that?"

~TVD~

Against my better judgment, we'd stolen someone's SUV, but at least it was comfortable. Lexi's text led us an hour down the road to a long driveway that stretched deep into the woods until it ran into a massive house. She was on the porch with an older man by her side. He was in his pajamas, since it was only four in the morning, but there was an air of dignity about him, though it was obvious he was under compulsion. It was a little odd how I'd come to recognize things like that lately.

"This is Damon," Lexi explained.

"You may come in, Damon," the man invited, and then turned abruptly and walked back into the house.

"Don't hate me," Lexi begged, her face troubled.

"Hate you for what," Damon asked.

He kept me behind him as Lexi led us into the house, his body tensed in response to the uneasiness that radiated from her. Through the front door was a large hall and Lexi led us into the sitting room where three men sat – one very familiar – and an older lady that Elena recognized immediately.

"Miss Sheila?"

Elena's eyes swam with tears as she took in Bonnie's grandmother sitting on the sofa next to Elijah. But she rushed to Elena and pulled her into a hug.

"I've been so worried about you, sugar. I knew you weren't dead, but no one believed me."

Sheila was crying, and Elena clung to her.

"Katherine has Bonnie," Elena explained.

"I know. This man here has agreed to help me get her back."

"Speaking of you, I thought we had another day," Damon asked, still tensed with a hand on the small of Elena's back as if he was about to run with her.

"I was able to accomplish what I needed to early, thanks to Sheila here."

Elijah was calm and collected, just as he was the last time I'd seen him, but the two men in the arm chairs looked anything but and they eyed Damon with uncertainty.

"Elijah," the older man spoke. "I agreed to follow your plan, but I never agreed to work with another vampire."

"He's on our side, Jonas. He has something he wishes to protect as well."

Elijah's eyes landed on me and I blushed, realizing he knew. But Damon still wasn't relaxed.

"Oh, Elena, you didn't," Sheila asked, looking concerned. "Please tell me you aren't stupid enough to fall for a vampire, Elena."

"But you don't know him. I love him," I explained, turning to Damon who wore a satisfied smile. Sheila was about to lecture me, but Damon started questioning Elijah.

"And just what exactly is your plan?"

"Klaus is an original. No regular stake can kill him. But a witch with enough power should be able to. I plan to use Elena to draw him out and the three witches here will kill him."

Three? So the two men were also witches? Staring at them now, I could see a family resemblance. Father and son, maybe?

"We're channeling my ancestors," Sheila explained. "We have the power of a hundred dead witches, but we must keep it spread between us. That much power is too strong for one witch to handle."

"What do you mean it's too strong," I asked, confused. This was all still too new to me.

"It could kill us. But between all of us, it's stable. We can channel it against Klaus."

"And Elena," Damon asked, still glaring daggers at Elijah.

"Elena will be unharmed. Once Klaus is dead, she's free to go." Elijah's face was full of sincerity, but I caught a glimpse of some unvoiced emotions, something he was trying to keep hidden. It almost looked like guilt. Guilt for what?

"And what if you don't kill him. He'll take Elena and leave. What then," Damon continued. It was obvious he had no trust in Elijah.

"Then I guess she'll be gone. Everyone in this room has something at stake here Damon. I assure you, we will kill him."

Damon contemplated this for a moment, and then gazed into my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something, some answer. For just a moment, his hand reached up to stroke my face.

"Is this something you're willing to do? Because if not, we'll run. I'll keep you safe." Damon's eyes were boring into mine, filled with love and apprehension. Running away with Damon sounded like a dream, but I knew there were other things at stake than just my life. I couldn't run away from my problems.

Stepping closer, I took his hand and laid a gentle kiss to his lips.

"We need to kill Klaus. It's the only way for everyone to be safe. I'll do it."

Damon nodded, but I could see the real dread in his eyes, dread that this wouldn't work and he'd lose me forever. I squeezed his hand tighter.

"Then it's settled," Elijah exclaimed, rising from the sofa.

"What now," Lexi asked.

Elijah strode to the middle of the room and met each of our eyes individually before pulling something from his pocket. A cell phone.

"We make a phone call."

**A/N:** Elijah sounds pretty confident, but you know their plans never work out like they're supposed to, lol.


	10. The Fool

**A/N:** I can't sleep, so I decided to write instead, which is good for the readers, right? Anyway, thanks again to all the reviewers and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 10: The Fool

It should have felt good to be home; back in Mystic Falls where I belonged. Instead I was terrified. Elijah sat beside me in the driver's seat, ghosting through the path in the woods until the trees were too close together. And then we waited.

The plan was simple. Elijah would present me to Klaus and then the witches would take over. Once he was dead, Damon would take me home, and all our problems would be over. While we waited, I allowed my eyes to close, to simply focus on that beautiful future. I imagined the look on Jeremy's face when I came through the front door; how I would hug him until all the worries were gone. I'd get to see Caroline and Matt and Bonnie – as soon as we dealt Katherine. Grams already knew just how to handle her.

And Damon. All the uninterrupted time with Damon. No one coming after us, or trying to kill us. Just the two of us together with all the time in the world. Just now I could feel his kisses on my throat, my chin, my lips… and his hands were everywhere.

Elijah must have noticed the change in my breathing because he cleared his throat in attempt to regain my attention.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about how great it will be when all this is over."

"And Damon, I assume."

A blush ran up my cheeks and I avoided his eyes, gazing out at the surrounding woods instead.

"You said all of us had a stake in this, so what's yours? Why do you want Klaus dead so bad," I asked. He had been a mystery since I'd met him.

"Klaus took my family from me. All of them."

"What? You're whole family?"

Elijah just nodded and underneath the stern exterior, I could see the real hurt. But this didn't seem like it was purely revenge.

"You're not just killing him to make him suffer, are you?"

"There might be a way for me to get them back. But if I fail, I'll lose them forever."

There was the hint of hope in his voice, and I remembered feeling the same way right after I was kidnapped. Just the thought that my parents may have been alive and well made the fight in me that much stronger. And I could see it in him now, the fight to get his family back. I didn't think; I just took his hand in mine.

"I know what it's like to lose your family. I'm sorry."

Something passed through his eyes… confusion? But then the confusion faded and a sadness came into them, and then he couldn't look at me anymore. When he pulled his hand away, I wanted to ask him what I'd said – why he seemed so upset – but then I noticed his posture go rigid and his mouth was mashed into a stern line.

"He's here."

I followed his eyes through the trees and saw a man moving through them gracefully. Elijah stepped out and was at my side of the car almost instantaneously. As we approached Klaus, Elijah's arm around me the whole way, I noticed the same man there that had been at the old ship yard. Maddox, I think? Katherine had accused him of being a witch.

"It's been too long, brother," Klaus greeted in a silky British accent. His eyes, though a lovely blue, where deadly, and there was an arrogance to his walk, as if he knew just how invincible he was.

I stiffened at the word "brother." Did he mean that literally?

"I'm here to apologize for my actions, Niklaus. And I've brought a gift." At this, Elijah pushed me out in front of him, but still kept a firm grip on my shoulders. But as soon as Klaus started moving closer, Elijah pulled me back until I was flush with his chest.

"Not yet, brother. There still the issue of our family."

"Ah, yes. Such a backstabbing bunch. You want to know where they are, I take it."

"No matter how angry you were at them, they didn't deserve what they got. You take me to them, and you get the girl. Otherwise, I break her neck right now."

"Do it and I'll kill you," Klaus threatened, as if the concept didn't upset him in the least.

"If I never get to see my family again, I don't care."

The two stared daggers at each other for a long time before a devilish smile broke across Klaus' face, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. Although his face was just as beautiful as Damon's or Elijah's there was a menace in his features that they didn't possess. This was truly a vampire with no conscience.

"Alright, Elijah. Enough theatrics. I'll take you to them as soon as I have the girl."

"I'm afraid that is not an option. I don't trust you."

Klaus chuckled, but I could see the annoyance in his eyes.

"Alright, you and the girl can meet me at the old lumber yard. But if she's not there with you, you will be dead before you can blink."

Elijah just nodded and escorted me to his car.

"What now," I asked once we were in motion.

"Now we do what he says."

"What about the others; were they listening?"

"Jonas is linked to me by a spell. He can follow us wherever Niklaus leads us."

I nodded, but the sadness was there again in his eyes. He was about to be reunited with his family, what reason would he have to be sad.

"You don't think this will work?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will. I'm just not sure it's worth it."

"Worth it? You mean to kill your brother."

Of course; no matter what Klaus has done to him, they're still family. I could see that even through the hostility of the confrontation.

"Klaus deserves what he has coming to him. I'll feel no regret about killing him. In fact, I'll be doing the world a favor."

"Then what else are you risking?" I just didn't understand the sorrow he felt. It didn't make any sense.

But he never answered me and as the silence drug on, I knew he never would. Mystic Falls flew past us as he drove and I tried to pick out people I knew on the sidewalk. Sometimes, a random face from school would pop out at me and I was astonished to think that these people had no idea what was happening in their town tonight. They had no idea of the monsters that walked among their quiet little streets. To them it was just another day; go to school, go to work, go to sleep. Just a normal day.

I wondered briefly how the town had handled the death of my parents. I'm sure I've missed the funeral. Did they have one for me, or was I still considered missing?

This town held so many memories for me, but as I looked at it now, it felt foreign to me, like I didn't fit this life anymore. I just couldn't see myself walking into the grill and ordering a burger, or going to the bonfire and hanging out like a normal teenager. That stuff just didn't seem important anymore, and it seemed silly to think that it used to. This town was the center of my life.

But then my parents had driven off of Wickery Bridge and nothing would feel like it was before. This wasn't my life… not anymore. But there were still things from my old life that _were_ important and I vowed to keep them safe. I would make it back to Jeremy and I would save Bonnie. Now that we had a plan to kill Klaus, that seemed more real than ever.

We were out of town now and the old lumber yard was only a few miles down the road. This was it! Once Elijah had his family back, Jonas, Sheila, and Luka would kill Klaus and this would all be over. Surely Lexi, Damon and Elijah could take down Maddox and any other minion Klaus had protecting him. Victory was so close and every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.

Elijah finally pulled in to the abandoned lumber yard with all the deserted machinery standing eerily tall and foreboding around us. Klaus and Maddox were already there, waiting for us to step out.

"Shall we get this over with? I could use a bite to eat," Klaus taunted, flashing his perfect teeth again for clarity. A chill ran down my spine and I carefully avoided his eyes. Elijah once again had his arm around me, ensuring that Klaus didn't get to me and run.

We followed the two black jackets through the overgrown parking lot until we came to a plain eighteen wheeler in the back attached to a plain gray trailer. This couldn't be it, could it? Did he really expect us to believe he just carted his family around in that?

"Is this a joke, Niklaus," Elijah asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Now, why would I fool you? Did you think I'd buried them? Or maybe thrown them in the Atlantic?"

Elijah stood with me by his side, waiting for Klaus to open the trailer, but just as his hand grasped the lever, he turned.

"You know Elijah, you're not the most trustworthy person either. If you want to see your family, hand over the girl. She's all I want."

"No."

"I will take her by force if necessary." Klaus nodded and in response, a girl stepped out from the surrounding trees, her long blond hair flowing over her shoulders. Behind her was a man, probably no older that I was with dark hair and a smug smile on his face. There was something familiar about the man. At certain angles, the lines in his face reminded me of Damon; the dark brow and fiery eyes, though these were a different color.

"Rebekah," Elijah called out to the girl. She smirked in response.

"You didn't think my own brother would kill me, now did you," she replied. Brother? Was this Elijah's sister?

"The girl, Elijah," Klaus ordered once again.

Elijah seemed to be deep in thought, searching between Rebekah and the trailer. I understood why he hesitated; if Klaus was bluffing and we killed him, he'd never know the true location of his family. But he might not have a choice.

As he decided, I noticed the mystery man looking me over with the strangest expression. The smugness had faded and I could feel his eyes roving every inch of my body, studying it. His expression made me want to blush or at least cover myself.

"I just want to see them myself. I won't go inside. Open the trailer and I'll hand her over," Elijah compromised.

I waited with bated breath for Klaus' response and finally, he smiled once more.

"Very well."

In one swift motion, he through the door to the trailer open and inside lay three coffins. It was so morbid to think that he carried the dead bodies of his family with him at all times. Didn't they smell? Or maybe they were so old that there were only bones left. Elijah had never disclosed his age. Of course, Elijah had said there was a way to get them back, so maybe they weren't really dead. It was still creepy.

I heard Elijah's sudden intake of breath and looked up to see him staring longingly at the coffins. This was what he'd been waiting for.

"There they are. The entire bloody lot of betrayers. Now, it's your turn to keep your word."

Klaus extended his hand out to me with a smile he'd probably intended to be warm, though it turned my stomach. But I turned my gaze to the woods, waiting for Jonas and Sheila to walk out and begin the attack. I wanted to throw Klaus a smug smile myself, but as I stared, the excitement of the coming attack faded.

Nobody was coming. But why? Where were they? This was the moment! Elijah had seen where his family was being kept; there was nothing else to wait for. The plan was to lure him out so the witches could kill him. We'd done that! What were they waiting for?

I was pulled from my fierce thoughts by Elijah giving me a rough shove straight into Klaus' arms.

But what was he doing? They were supposed to attack him before he got me! I turned to look back at Elijah, but the apologetic look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

There was no attack coming. Elijah had gotten what he came here for, why kill his brother when he didn't have to. But what about Jonas and Luka; they'd explained how Klaus had Jonas' daughter, Greta. And Miss Sheila; would Elijah still help her save Bonnie from Katherine's grasp? I just didn't understand.

Damon! Where was Damon? He would never let me be taken, of that I was sure. So where was he? I scanned the woods looking for that beautiful face, but there was no one there. I wanted to scream for help, but it wouldn't do any good if there was no one to hear it.

Klaus passed me off to Maddox just as Elijah stepped forward to enter the trailer. I watched him lift the lid and I saw the joy pass over his face as he stared inside.

And then in a second, Elijah was screaming out in pain.

The attack had happened so fast that I never saw it coming. Klaus was standing behind Elijah stabbing a dagger deep into his back. Before my eyes, Elijah's skin turned ashen and he took on a vein-like, shriveled look before collapsing on the floor of the trailer.

"And now, you are reunited with our family, brother," Klaus spoke softly.

I could feel the hot tears leak from my eyes and I all I wanted in that moment was to charge Klaus myself; to beat him until he was dead. It was as if all the rage that had been building since the death of my parents had boiled over and was all being pointed at him. It was all his fault in the end anyway. But I'd never stand a chance against him.

"Are you ready to go now, Love," Klaus asked, looking me over with the kindest face, as if he hadn't just killed his brother.

Futilely, I cast one more glance into the woods, hoping to see Jonas or Sheila, or Damon. But there was no one, no help. Klaus wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started to pull me forward, but I recoiled from his touch.

"I could always tie you up and gag you, but you'll be a lot more comfortable if you don't put up a fight."

I'm sure he's completely serious, but something in me wants to make this as hard as possible for him, like maybe if I buy enough time, the others will make it before he leaves. They had to be held up somewhere, right?

But when I don't move, Klaus grips my arm roughly and urges me forward.

"I trust you'll take care of our dear brother," Klaus asked Rebekah who nodded and moved towards the trailer with the mystery man – the one that looked a little like Damon – following her wordlessly, though he did throw one last fleeting glance towards me.

I was forced into the back seat of a very luxurious Audi with smooth leather seats and to my disgust, Klaus slid in next to me. In a single nod of his head, Maddox started the car and we pulled off, filling my stomach with dread.

I afforded one last glance behind us, noting nothing except the piercing eyes of the mystery man.

**A/N: **Poor Elena. Any guesses who the mystery man that looks a little like Damon is? (Like it's really a mystery)


	11. Goodbye, My Love

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I got this up a little sooner than I thought. I'll be at the beach next week so I probably won't be able to update, and I'm hoping to get chapter 12 up before I leave. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story! You made my day!

Chapter 11: Goodbye, My Love

The house was beautiful, but all I could think about was the many ways Klaus could kill me. When I closed my eyes, I could see it done a million different ways. Damon never explained the how.

Damon…

Thinking of him causes the tears to rise to my eyes, but I force them back. I will not give Klaus the satisfaction of seeing me cry. But why didn't they save me? That was the plan, right? To lure Klaus out and kill him? So why hadn't they? Damon wouldn't just let me be taken. Vampire or not, I know he loves me! But where is he?

The door opens then, but instead of Klaus it's the mystery man. I stare him down, determined not to show fear.

"You look just like her," he says in a distant tone.

"And?" I stare him down defiantly.

"It's just a statement. So you're the one who breaks the curse."

I want to ask exactly how that's done and what the curse really is, but the words die in my mouth. If I speak, I won't be able to keep up the brave act.

"I wish I was allowed to taste you. I've always wondered what Katherine would have tasted like human. Maybe I can talk Nik into letting me have a nibble."

I take an immediate dislike to this man. Damon joked several times about biting me, but it seemed different with him. There was an undercurrent of emotion there, but this man has none at all. He looked at me as I would a juicy steak. So this is what Katherine meant when she said vampires didn't feel. Damon had said it was like a switch. Well this man's switch was definitely off. And there was a madness to his eyes, like he could barely contain this calm façade he put off.

It was enough to make me shake, but I kept my muscles rigid, not allowing him to see my fear. But he could read me better than I thought.

"I know you're scared. I can smell it in your blood. Adrenaline gives it a better taste, or did my brother not explain that."

"Brother?" I was in such shock that I didn't even realize I'd spoken. So this was Stefan.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised Damon's given in to such weakness. He was such a natural predator. He could have a girl begging him to kill her without even using the compulsion. So how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Make him love you?"

Anger rose up in me as he spoke this way about Damon, like I'd ruined him. It gave me the strength I needed to push the fear away.

"I didn't make him do anything, Stefan. The emotions were there, I just helped him pull them out. Did you know that he was coming to save you? To get you away from Klaus?"

"He probably just wants to kill me himself for stealing Katherine."

"He's over Katherine," I spat, making sure not to back down as he gets right in my face.

"Is that what he told you? He will never be over Katherine. Even when we thought she was dead, he still loved her enough to hate me. Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. Soon Klaus will drain every last drop of blood from your body and Damon will be alone again."

So that was how he'd kill me? At least this seemed less painful than other deaths I'd imagined. Maybe it would feel like falling asleep.

"What curse is he breaking?" I try to maintain the hard edge to my voice, hoping to come off as strong.

"Ah, well, that is an interesting story," he starts, lazing across the bed like Damon used to do. I jump up and move to stand against the wall. "Klaus isn't just a vampire. His mother had an affair with another man… a werewolf." Stefan's voice grows low, adding a menacing effect to the story.

"His own mother turned him and his siblings into vampires and that's when they realized what a monster he really was. He was a hybrid, a werewolf and a vampire."

He smiles maliciously and I know my face must be showing my shock. In a flash he has me pinned against the wall, his lips moving right beside my ear. But this doesn't feel like it did when Damon did this to me on the night I discovered he was a vampire. Damon always seemed to appreciate my body more than my blood, but Stefan only seems to be thinking of tearing into my throat and sucking it dry. Even now I can feel him sniffing my neck.

"The curse was placed on him to keep his werewolf side dormant. It was bound by the blood of your ancestor. The doppelganger, which would be you, was created to break it."

As he finishes, he brings his face back up to stare at me and his crazed green eyes freeze the blood in my veins. I want to hit him and scream all at the same time.

"Having fun," Klaus calls, leaning casually against the doorframe.

"I wasn't gonna bite her."

Stefan quickly leaves the room and I'm alone with Klaus who only continues to stare at me with that self-righteous smile.

"When," I ask in a small voice.

"Oh, you want to know when you'll die. Tonight, actually. My witch needs the full moon. But don't worry, I'll make it quick." With another smirk, he strolls from the room, closing the door behind him.

I throw myself back on the bed as the sobs take over. I've been magically sealed in this house, just like before, and although I've tried working out a plan in my head, it's pointless. But just as I curl up on the bed, I hear the sound of light tapping on my window. It startles me at first, but then I move hesitantly over to the window above the bed and open it, revealing…

"Damon!" I squeal a little too loud and he puts his finger to his lips in warning. I try to launch myself into his arms, but the barrier holds me inside. I wait for him to come in, but he never does and then I realize… he hasn't been invited in. A living person must still reside here.

"I'm sorry about this. Jonas gave me some intense witchy migraine and by the time I came back to the world of the living, you were gone."

"What? But I thought he was supposed to be helping us?"

"Apparently, there was a part of the plan they left out." This was said through his teeth and I wondered momentarily if Jonas survived the encounter when Damon woke up.

"The witches can't kill Klaus until he breaks the curse. That's when he'll be vulnerable. If they do their juju before, they die before he does."

"What? But that means…" It all hits me, hard. "I… I have to die so they can kill him."

"No! I won't let that happen! I will get you out of this."

His blue eyes are intense as they stare back into mine and for a second, they seem to take on a darker shade, his vampiric features showing through the human mask.

"How?"

"He has to take you outside to perform the ritual. That's when I'll come for you."

An image flashes through my mind then, of Damon fighting the terrifying man that entered my room just moments before. Even through my human eyes I could see how deadly he was. Damon couldn't fight him.

"Damon. I don't think you know who you're dealing with. You can't just–"

"Relax, Elena. I'll have the witches on my side. I'm not stupid. But I won't let you die! Do you understand?"

I nod, wishing desperately for the chance to simply feel his cheek beneath my hand. Just one touch. Instead, I place my hand against the invisible barrier and he reaches out as well. It's not the same as feeling him under my skin, but no barrier can keep out our love, and I can feel his love for me spread through my being. It gives me the comfort I need to hope for tomorrow.

Before I can get in a tearful goodbye, he's gone and I left with an empty window once again.

At least Klaus feeds me; well in fact. For what Klaus calls "my last meal" I'm served lobster and steak with garlic potatoes and cinnamon apples. The food is exquisite, but I can barely stomach it as I think of the night ahead. My only prayer is that Damon survives the fight with Klaus. I can't lose anyone else I love, even if it means losing my own life. And there's another dilemma; what happens to Miss Shelia and the others if they have to take down Klaus before the ritual is complete? Damon said they would die. How can I risk killing Bonnie's grandmother?

Bonnie!

I'd almost forgotten about my best friend in the clutches of my greatest enemy; the murderer of my parents. No matter what happens to me, they have to get to Bonnie. We can't leave her to Katherine, who clearly has no remorse when it comes to killing. What if she's already dead?

No! I can't let myself think like that… not if I want to keep from going crazy. But the idea keeps surfacing the more I think. It feels like it takes forever for the sun to drop, but finally it does and I wait impatiently for my door to open.

And when it does, I wish I had more time.

"Time for the show," Stefan calls as he flings open the door.

I don't struggle as he leads me down the stairs and out of the house, though his arm is a little too tight around my waist. He takes me into the woods where it's too dark for me to see my hand in front of my face. I have no choice but to clutch his arm for support as I'm lead through the darkness. Finally, I see firelight ahead and Klaus standing in a clearing. There's a faint moaning coming from a man on the ground and his face instantly registers with my brain.

"Mason?"

Tyler's uncle looks up at me in agony. His face is so pained that I attempt to run to him, but Stefan's unyielding hand grips my arm and pulls me back.

"What did you do to him," I demand, staring down Klaus.

"We had to slow his transition. He'll be much easier to kill in this form."

"What?" Nothing he just said makes sense. I thought I was the only person who had to die for this. And what did he mean by "this form?"

"You didn't think you were the only ingredient, did you love? Along with the doppelganger, I must kill a werewolf and a vampire. Mason here is the werewolf and I believe you remember this one."

Klaus motions to a man dragging an unconscious Anna into the clearing. Once he places her on the ground, she and Mason are each surrounded with circles of fire. My mind struggles to accept that werewolves are also among the list of horror story creatures that are real, but it can't accept the fact the he has to die. What will I tell Tyler when his uncle turns up missing? Not that I'm his biggest fan, but I wouldn't wish losing a family member on anyone.

"You can't hurt him, Klaus. There has to be another way," I yell.

"If you plan on playing to my emotions, I don't have any. I've waited a thousand years to break this curse and I couldn't care less who mourns this poor man. Now, shall we begin?"

I'm thrown to the ground and engulfed in my own flaming circle. The man who brought in Anna, who I now recognize as Maddox, approaches a woman by an alter made of rocks and she begins a chant. As I wait for something to happen, my eyes search the woods for signs of Damon, but find only silence. I have no idea how he plans to save me from this.

At some sign that I miss, the flames around Mason go out and once he notices he's free, he affords one last glance in my direction before attempting to make a run for it. But before he takes a full two steps, Klaus knocks him to the ground and I hear the awful wet, tearing sound of flesh being broken. As I watch, Mason's body lies at an odd angle and no longer struggles and Klaus stands up with a bloody object in his hand.

Mason's heart.

It was so fast; I barely had time to register what was happening. Mason, who I'd seen on occasion since childhood, who'd come to school plays and football games to cheer on his nephew, was gone in a matter of seconds. It just didn't seem possible. I continued to stare at his lifeless body, waiting for him to jump up and shake the dirt from his pants, but he never rose.

I feel my eyes prick, but I'm in too much shock to produce tears. I'm vaguely aware that I'm shaking and momentarily wonder if I'm about to pass out.

It feels like forever when the circle around the motionless Anna finally disappears. I wonder for a second if she's already dead, but assume they need her alive… so they can kill her. As Klaus rolls her over, her eyes open and widen in fear at the sight of him. But she doesn't try to escape or even fight him off. Her face turns to me with desperation in her eyes and she asks me for one thing.

"Save my mother. Please."

Before I can even respond, Klaus drives the stake through her heart and her skin turns an ashen gray. Two down, one to go. I begin to tremble as he turns to me, warring between my own fear and my worry over Damon. Klaus just killed two people – well, a werewolf and a vampire – without remorse; what would he do to Damon if he got in his way. I couldn't bear to lose anyone else I loved, even if I wouldn't be here with them.

The witch's chanting continued and soon the flames surrounding me receded. Should I run? No, he'd only catch me and according to what Damon said, he'd take out his vengeance on my family. So what choice was left but to walk to my own death?

"Your turn, love," Klaus called, extending his hand. I brushed past it, fighting the tears that welled up in my eyes. I would not let him see me weak. But as I stepped up to the stone alter, my fear rose until it nearly consumed me and my trembling intensified. Wasn't it barely a week ago that I was planning my summer with my friends? How could I go from that to dying in such a short time? The tears finally won out as Klaus approached me and tilted my head to the side, sweeping my hair from my neck.

This was it. Damon wouldn't get here in time. I just hoped he'd take care of Jeremy and tell him how much I loved him.

"I love you, Damon," I whispered, hoping the words would find him somehow.

And then I felt Klaus' fangs break my skin. He was gentle, as gentle as Damon had been, but he was sucking a lot harder, trying to drain me. The world was growing fuzzy and sparkly…

And I was on the ground. Had Klaus dropped me? Was I dead?

No, I was still here; the pain attested to that. I heard an angry snarl and an awful ripping sound, and then I was flying through the air. Through the pain in my neck I hadn't felt the arms under me until I was already in Damon's arms.

"Sorry I'm late, Angel," he whispered, flying into the trees.

"Klaus," I muttered, though my voice was so weak I couldn't understand it myself.

"Sheila's taking care of him."

But he hadn't completed the ritual. He had to kill me. Sheila would die. I was about to protest, but he stopped to lay me on the ground, tearing into his wrist with his fangs and bringing the bloody flesh to my mouth.

"Drink," he ordered.

Just like before, I could feel the flesh knitting together as the sweet substance flowed down my throat. I clutched his arm with more strength until all the pain was gone.

"By the way, I love you too."

I smiled as I pulled away, glad he'd heard me. I could hear Sheila's voice in the background, chanting in some unknown language as I rise to kiss him, thankful that our problems will soon be over. But just as I reach his lips, a guttural scream tears from his mouth and he doubles over, clutching his head.

"Damon? What's wrong? What's happening?"

His teeth are locked together in his effort to keep from screaming, but his muscles are still tight with pain. Finally, one word escapes his mouth.

"Run!"

"What? No, I'm not leaving you." As I'm talking, Maddox stalks out through the trees, staring intently at Damon.

"Stop! Please! Don't hurt him," I begged, placing myself between the witch and Damon. Looking around quickly, I grab a think tree branch and swing at his head, but he catches the branch easily. I go for a kick and manage to get him in the ribs, but he's only fazed for a moment before he's coming at me again.

But Maddox stops mid-step, jerking back as if in pain. Blood drips from his mouth and he slowly drops to the ground, the long knife protruding from his back.

"Not a bad shot, huh," Lexi called, stepping out of the trees. I just stared mutely, unable to even move. "Are you okay?"

Numbly, I managed to force my head to nod in response. It was Damon's low groan from the ground that woke my stiff limbs and had me wiping around. But he was already on his feet when I turned, smiling at me.

"You never listen, do you," he asked in a breathy voice.

"What did he do to you?"

"The witchy migraine thing, but I'll live."

"What have you done," Jonas' son, Luka, called. "The witches weren't supposed to die!"

"Well, when I had to pick between him and an innocent girl, I went with the evil one," Lexi quipped.

Luka was about to protest, his face contorting in anger, when two screams broke the night air. One was obviously Klaus, as he shouted obscenities at Sheila, but the other one was…

"Stefan," Lexi and Damon confirmed as one, and in seconds, they took off for the clearing.


	12. Further Into the Night

**A/N:** As promised, I managed to finish chapter 12 before my beach trip! Yay! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 12: Further Into the Night

Lexi was already gone by the time I forced my heavy legs to move, but Damon hung back, eyeing me intensely.

"Elena, stay here. You can't go back to Klaus," he ordered.

"No. I can't just watch you walk off to fight him and pray you'll come back. I'm coming!"

Damon was about to argue, but Stefan's next agonizing scream tore through the trees and in seconds he had me in his arms and we were flying towards the clearing. But before we reached the trees, he sat me on my feet.

"Stay hidden," he hissed, taking off through the last fringe of trees. Against his words, I followed, just far enough to see what was really happening in the clearing. Klaus was still writhing on the ground in obvious pain while Sheila chanted her foreign words. And further back, Stefan was lying on the ground, clutching his head. It looked like the same attack Maddox had used on Damon, except Jonas was the one enforcing it. The girl who had preformed the ritual was shouting at them to stop, but I wondered why she did nothing to stop them herself.

"Jonas, not him," Damon shouted. But Lexi, where was Lexi? I searched until I found her also writhing in pain. His deadly stare turned to Damon and I wondered just how many vampires he could take down on his own.

"Jonas, not my brother!"

"Would you rather him kill us," Jonas fired back.

But before Damon could argue further, a guttural scream tore through the trees and a blur of blond hair burst forth, heading straight for Jonas. No one had time to react before she had drained him dry, allowing his dead body to drop to the ground.

Rebekah; Klaus had called her Rebekah, his sister. She ran for Stefan, helping him up just as another cry broke into the night air. Luka was just breaking through the trees and saw his father dead on the ground. He was starting to approach when the girl that had preformed the ritual grabbed his arm.

"We need to leave, Luka," she instructed. They looked related; maybe they were. Maybe she was the one Jonas was hoping to save; the one he said was at stake.

"You! This is your fault," Rebekah shouted, and it took a moment for me to realize that she was staring at me. "You were just supposed to die!"

She was walking towards me now, but Damon was there in an instant, blocking her path to me.

"It will only take a second for me to rip your heart from your chest. Then who'll protect her," she threatened.

"Elena, I want you to run. Now," Damon demanded, but I couldn't leave him.

"No!"

"Elena, run now!"

But Rebekah was charging him. He moved fast, knocking her back into a tree, but she came at him again and sent him flying to the ground. And then Lexi was there, driving a tree branch through Rebekah's back and twisting it until the blond screamed. Though the branch should have pierced her heart, Rebekah remained on her feet, swinging on Lexi and nearly taking off her head.

"Stefan, deal with the blond," she ordered, but Stefan was frozen. "Stefan?"

"Let them go Rebekah," he ordered, moving to rip the tree limb from her back.

"What? They're attacking my brother! That witch nearly killed you!"

"You're attacking _my _brother!"

Something had changed in Stefan since the last time I'd seen him. Seeing Damon had awoken something inside him and all the coldness had drained from his face, making it almost unrecognizable. Seeing my moment, I ran to Damon, helping him up and clinging to his arm. If she still wanted a fight, she'd have to deal with both of us.

"Rebekah," Klaus screamed again, writhing on the ground.

She started to move towards him, but a figure emerged from the smoke that had her frozen.

"Elijah," she whispered.

Sheila stopped her chanted and collapsed to the ground just as Elijah approached Klaus.

"Hello brother," he greeted menacingly.

"But you're dead. I killed you!" Klaus was staring up in disbelief, realizing his moment had finally come and I couldn't help the sadness that came over me as I saw the pitiful creature lying on the dirt. Although I should want him dead more than anybody, I just hate the thought of watching him die.

"You had just enough of the doppleganger's blood to become vulnerable, brother. And now I have the chance to do what should have been done a millennia ago."

Elijah's arm shoots up, preparing to come down on his brother, but I turn my face away, burying it in Damon's chest. I feel his arm snake around me as the sound of tearing flesh reaches my ears, followed by silence. The next sound I hear is Rebekah's cry of pain.

"What have you done," she wails.

"I had no choice, Rebekah. He had to pay for all he's done."

Even Elijah's voice seemed far from triumphant and I wondered just how hard it had been for him to take his brother's life. It was several more seconds before I dared raising my head, keeping my eyes from straying to the dead Klaus or the dead Jonas. Damon still held me tightly, brushing a kiss to the top of my head.

The sound of labored breathing reached my ears and I searched until I saw Sheila nearly passed out on the ground. Without thinking, I ran to her side, noting that Damon was right behind me.

She looked so pale and her eyelids would barely open to look at me.

"Miss Sheila, can you hear me," I asked, failing entirely at calming my voice.

"Elena… you have… to… save Bonnie."

"I will. I promise. But first we have to get you to a hospital."

"It's too… late for me… sugar."

I could see how hard it was for her to even form words and knew she didn't have much time left. And then, an idea occurred to me and I whipped around to find Damon's eyes.

"You can heal her. Please, just give her some of your blood."

Damon looked uncertain, but started bringing his wrist to his mouth when Sheila spoke.

"No… I won't. Just… save Bonnie. Please."

"But we can save you."

Sheila only smiled and took my hand in hers. "Isobel's eyes," she mumbled, staring straight into _my_ eyes. What did she mean? Who was Isobel?

Before I could find an answer to that question, Sheila closed her eyes for the last time and I felt her hand go slack.

"Miss Sheila? Don't…" I couldn't help the sob that burst forth as I stared down at the woman who meant so much to my best friend. How was I supposed to tell her? Gently, I placed Sheila's hands over her chest and arranged her head into a more comfortable position.

"I'll take care of the body," Damon offered. Although he'd tried to keep his voice soft, the words were all wrong. What was that supposed to mean?

"What are you talking about, 'take care of the body'," I asked.

"You don't want to leave her here do you?"

"Of course not. We have to take her home. She needs a proper burial and a funeral."

"No. What _we_ need is for the body to disappear. How are you gonna explain what happened to her? I'll bury her and no one will find her."

Was he serious? "This is Bonnie's grandmother!"

"And she's dead. There's nothing more we can do for her. She'll still get a burial, so what's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' is that she just gave her life for me! If you'd have waited until I was dead, she'd still be alive!"

"And you wouldn't, Elena! She agreed to help me when I told her I wouldn't let you die. She wanted to save you too. Are you telling me you'd rather be dead?"

"I didn't want anyone giving their life for mine."

"Seriously? We're arguing over how I saved your life?"

I was so angry that I started stuttering and tripping over my words. I didn't even know what to say to that. How could human life mean so little to him? Did he really not care what Grams' death would do to my friend? Of course I'd take her place if I could!

"Elena, calm down. I love you, okay? I love you," Damon pledged, placing his inescapable hands on my shoulders, his eyes boring deeply into mine.

"I love you too. I just never realized you could be this cold."

The minute the words are out, I wish I could take them back. Damon's hands drop from my shoulders and his stunned face contorts with hurt.

"See why you don't want to fall in love with a human," Rebekah taunts with Stefan smirking at her side.

"I'll take her body back. I can make it look like she died at home," Elijah offers. "It's the least I can do after what I've done. I'll make sure the werewolf makes it back to his family as well."

"Thank you," I manage to mumble without taking my eyes from Damon's hurt face.

I want to apologize, to erase this from his features. But before I can form the words to say, the cold, egotistical Damon is back and he grabs my arm, pulling me through the woods.

"Lexi, you'll take care of Stefan until I get back, right," Damon calls over his shoulder.

"It would be my pleasure," she answers, followed by an argument between Stefan, Rebekah, and her. But I ignore it, focusing on Damon instead.

"Where are we going," I finally ask.

"I'm taking you home. Isn't that what you wanted all along? Then I can get back to my exciting life."

"What are you talking about? We have to help Bonnie. Katherine still has her!"

"Don't worry. I'll find her and bring her back to you. Then you and your family and friends can skip off into the sunset."

"Why are you talking like you're leaving me," I ask, my voice low and heavy.

"I thought you didn't want such a heartless boyfriend?"

"Damon, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I was upset and it just came out. I know you're not heartless. You love me."

"And in a year, you'll meet some nice human boy and forget all about me."

"No, I won't!" I pull my hand free and refuse to move as I contemplate the audacity of that statement. As if I could ever forget about _him_! I've never felt this strongly about anyone and even though we have a severe difference of opinion, I would never stop fighting for the good I see in him.

"Damon, I love you. I will always love you. Don't push me away."

He doesn't respond, just stares at me and eventually, his wall starts to chip, but doesn't fall away completely.

"Don't make me any promises. Wait until your back in your old shoes to decide," he begs, the vulnerability plain in his blue eyes. Does he really think I won't want him anymore once I'm back in my old life?

"No, Damon–" His finger on my lips cuts me off and his lips graze my forehead.

"Come on, let's get you home," he commands, taking my hand again.

We're silent on the way back to the car and for most of the car ride. Eventually, thoughts of seeing Jeremy again fill my head. I wonder if my old room has been left intact or if they cleared it out after my suspected death. But it doesn't matter; I just can't wait to go home. Of course I'll have to deal with my parent's… absence. But I don't need to focus on that now.

Part of me wants to go with him to save Bonnie, but I trust him to bring her back. I just pray that Katherine hasn't hurt her.

"Thank you… for saving me," I finally say, smiling at him in the dark.

"Your welcome."

His cocky face smiles back at me and he takes my hand.

"You know, I don't have to take you directly home. We could park somewhere and–"

I look up just as Damon's foot stomps on the brake, almost hitting the person standing in the middle of the road. Once the tires stop squealing, I try to see the person in the headlights, but they move so quickly.

"Where'd they go," I ask, searching the darkness.

Damon puts the car in park, probably preparing to jump out and investigate when the driver's side window shatters and I hear his groan of pain.

Looking over at him, I see a large stake stabbed deep into his abdomen with a hand attached, reaching through the window.

Katherine's hand!

Her face comes into view as she leans down to make eye contact with the injured Damon.

"Hello, lover. Miss me?"

**A/N:** What? You didn't actually think she'd make it back home yet, did you?


	13. Sweet Revenge

**A/N:** I'm back from the beach now! I'm sorry again for the long wait but here's chapter 13 and I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 13: Sweet Revenge

I can feel myself starting to wake, but unlike the last few times I've awoken in a strange place, I remember everything that's happened. How could I not; every viscous vampire we've met has been staring in my nightmares since Katherine rendered me unconscious.

Katherine!

I remember only too vividly the sight of that dainty hand smashing through the window to stab Damon in the stomach. I'm sure that wherever I am, she's the one that brought me here and I'm determined to start fighting as soon as my eyes open. I refuse to be her victim any longer!

But when my eyes do finally open, I'm met with kind brown eyes and a loving smile.

"Bonnie," I croak out.

"Oh my… Elena! I was so worried about you. Katherine just brought you in and dropped you on the floor. I thought you were dead at first," Bonnie sobbed and pulled me into her arms.

"She dropped me? No wonder my head hurts so bad."

Bonnie's hug tightened and I can feel her tears soak my shirt. I hate to see her so upset.

"Where are we?"

"Some really old haunted house. It's creepy," Bonnie replied, shivering.

"Haunted?"

"I think. I keep hearing these voices."

I listen for a moment, but can't hear anything except the eerie creaking of the house as the wind blows. Dust and cobwebs cover every inch of the walls and the only light coming through is from the tiny broken window at the top of the wall. Based on the small amount of light, I guess it's either dawn or sunset.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Just a few hours."

Dawn then. I don't know why knowing the time of day makes me feel better, but it does. It's a little crazy to think that yesterday I wasn't planning to make it to morning, but that was before Damon saved me.

Damon!

"Damon, where is he? Did she bring him in with me," I shriek, searching frantically for any sign of him.

"You mean the vampire that kidnapped you?"

"It's a long story, but he's on our side, I promise."

"But… Katherine said he'd kidnapped you… and that I had to help her find you or he'd kill you."

"Actually, Katherine was the one that kidnapped me and killed my parents. Damon helped at first… but he's different now. I… I love him."

"You… what? Maybe Katherine dropped you harder than I thought."

"No, Bonnie, I'm serious. Damon's good. The reason he helped her… he wasn't trying to hurt me. But I need you to trust me. I think she hurt him pretty bad."

Bonnie sighed, but didn't look like she wanted to argue. Instead, she scooted closer to me until her lips were at my ear.

"She has him upstairs. He was out of it when she brought him in, just like you. But I haven't seen either of them since she threw us down here. I think it's the basement."

I look around, confirming her assessment, and stand, unsteadily, to my feet. Creeping closer to the stairs, I see that there doesn't seem to be anything blocking the door, although it's sure to be locked. But the wood looks so old…

"I have to try to get to him. I gonna try the door, okay. Just stay behind me," I order.

Bonnie nods and follows me up the stairs, but just as I reach the top, the door flies open and a hand knocks me back to the bottom, taking Bonnie with me.

"Aww; were you planning a jail break," Katherine inquired with a sneer.

"Where's Damon," I screamed, preparing to charge her.

"He's… sleeping. Don't worry, I won't let you miss out on the fun."

"Fun?"

"It wouldn't be much fun killing him without an audience."

"You won't touch him!"

"Really? Because last time I checked, you were human. So, unless you plan to talk me death, you can't stop me. Besides, you'll be dead soon after."

Katherine cocked her head to the side, hearing something to low for human ears to pick up and her face lit up with a horrendous smile.

"Damon's up," she commented before skipping back up the stairs, not bothering to shut the door.

"Should we try to run for it," Bonnie asked, starting to tremble.

"No. We'd never make it to the door. But I have to go up. She has Damon."

I wasn't fully sure if Bonnie would follow me, but was happy when she did. We were all dead anyway. Maybe I could plead with Katherine to let Bonnie go. She had nothing to do with this, and she'd helped Katherine find me. If I could just save my friend…

But it wasn't enough. I couldn't bear the thought of Damon dying too. I had to save them both!

Once at the top, the house was just as dark and musty, but there was more light streaming in through the windows as the sun rose. I continued foreword hesitantly, searching for signs of Damon when I heard his scream of pain from the other room… and started running.

"Elena, wait," Bonnie called.

But I didn't stop until I made it to him. And then I was gasping for air.

Katherine had him chained to the wall and I could see the chains burning his skin. What was on them? An old fire poker protruded from his chest, most likely wedged in his rib cage and he was trying hard not to let the pain show on his face.

"Oh good, you're here. Now we can start with the wood," Katherine trilled, picking through several deadly looking wooden weapons.

"E-ele-na," Damon rasped.

I ran to him, touching his face with caution, not wanting to cause him more pain.

"It's not as… bad as it… looks," he choked out, shooting me a sad impersonation of his usual smirk.

"Maybe we should start with the legs. Don't need you kicking me while I torture your girl," Katherine drawled, choosing a long, sharp stake.

"NO," I screamed, throwing myself in front of Damon. It was a pointless move, but it was all I could do.

"Sorry sweetie, not your turn yet."

With a flick of her wrist, I was knocked across the room where I smashed into the wall, raining dust and dirt all over me. For a second the world was spinning and my vision threatened to black out. We should have just let Klaus kill me. At least then it would only be me dying, and it would have been a lot quicker than whatever Katherine had planned.

Someone was helping me up, but I could only focus on the painful shriek coming from Damon. I could tell he'd tried to keep the cry muffled, but the pain must be intense.

"Elena, I…," Bonnie started, but just dropped off. With great effort, I managed to find her through the pounding in my head, but she was staring at the floor and… listening?

"Bonnie? What is it?"

"The voices; I think they're trying to talk to me. I can almost make them out."

"What are they saying?"

"Something about… witches? Using powers?"

"They think you can do something," I stated with certainty.

But Bonnie shook her head, fat tears streaming from her eyes.

"No, I can't! I can't do this. They want my Grams; she's the one who always knows what to do. I can't do it!"

In that second I remembered – she didn't know. She was the only one who could help us; the only one who could communicate with the strange voices that wanted to help.

"What are the two of you mumbling about over there," Katherine called, appearing in front of me almost instantly. When neither of us answered, she pulled me to my feet and slammed me back against the wall.

"Don't you touch her," Damon yelled, pulling against the chains.

"It's no fair for you to feel all the pain, lover."

With no effort at all, Katherine squeezed until I felt the sharp crack of the bones in my hand. A blood-curdling scream filled the air and I realized it was mine. But the pain took over everything else and made the pounding in my ears worse. Katherine released my hand, only to smack me so hard I landed back on the floor.

After that, everything was a little muddled. Sounds came and went. Sometimes there was screaming and sometimes complete silence. At one point, I was sure I heard my dad calling my name, or Jeremy calling out for help. It was so hard to determine what was real and what was dream. I could feel the urge to sleep, to let the darkness take me, but I fought it, knowing that somewhere in reality, Damon was in trouble. I had to get to him!

Suddenly, I was looking at my own face. No… not my face. Katherine's!

"Don't die on me yet. I'm not done. I thought we'd reconstruct your face. The whole twin thing is getting kind of old, don't you think?"

But just as I felt the knife cut into my cheek, Katherine was gone and I fell to the floor. All I registered, besides the constant crashing noises, was an animalistic snarl that could never come from Katherine's dainty lips. Forcing my eyes to open, I saw that Damon was free and he and Katherine were locked in a deadly sort of dance.

Now was not the time to pass out! I had to help him.

"Bonnie," I called – or hope I called. Everything was still a little muffled from the head trauma.

When she didn't respond, I found her huddled on the floor where I had been lying after Katherine threw me. Her eyes were staring out in horror at the fighting vampires, but I crawled to her, which was hard considering my broken hand.

"Bonnie, listen to me! Grams is dead. She's not coming to save us. You have to do it."

"What? No, she can't be! How could she…"

"Bonnie, I know this is a lot, but you have to help us. Grams had power, just like you. Use it."

"I don't know how. I never asked… I never wanted this."

"If you don't help us, we'll all die. Katherine will kill us all."

"But why? Why does she want to kill you?"

Honestly, I had no idea. Klaus was dead, so he couldn't threaten her anymore. What reason did she have to kill us now?

"I'm not completely sure, but I really don't care. Talk to the voices or whatever it is trying to help you. Tell them we need help."

With that, I focused on crawling to the weapons Katherine had on a tarp spread out on an old table. If I could just get to–

Suddenly, Damon smashed into a wall right in front of me. I crawled the rest of the way to his side, the weapons forgotten. It took a moment for his head to rise.

"Damon?"

"Elena, I'll distract her. Get out of here."

"No! I won't leave you!"

"Elena…"

I'm close enough now to touch his face and my hand strokes it gently, feeling a shudder run through my body when his eyes meet mine.

"I love you, Damon."

"What's not to love?"

His old smirk lights up his face, but behind the joke I can see the real emotion in his eyes. How could he think I would ever leave him?

"Well, isn't this cute," Katherine exclaimed, strolling up, but I can clearly see the limp she's trying to hide. She's wounded too. I know just how to heal Damon of his wounds, but as soon as his teeth break my skin, Katherine would smell it, if she even lets us get that far. I have to come up with another plan, but Damon's already rising to his feet.

"Come on Katherine; you can't be that angry at us. You knew how much I hated you. Of course I picked Elena," Damon taunted. But Katherine never let the smile drop from her face.

"You're right. I knew you didn't love me. It was her I underestimated. I never thought she had it in her to seduce a vampire. But, if memory serves correctly, you don't take a lot of seducing."

Damon scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, the very picture of relaxation, had it not been for all the blood. Were they seriously trying to insult each other to death? But then, I saw Bonnie in the corner, her eyes shut tight in concentration.

Damon was trying to buy her some time.

"Or, maybe he's just too good for you," I threw in, earning a glare from Katherine. It took a lot of effort, but I managed to make it to my feet. Damon shifted his position so he was in front of me.

"Oh Elena, haven't we been through this? A human can never satisfy like a vampire can. But what do you say, Damon; one for the road? Maybe you can show me what she did that you liked so much?"

"Sorry, Katherine. You just don't do it for me anymore," Damon goaded.

Was that really why she was doing this? She was jealous of Damon for picking me over her? It must be, because the glare in her eyes is unmistakably that of a scorned lover.

"I'm going to have so much fun killing you," Katherine sneered, preparing to charge Damon.

But just as she takes a step, she drops to the floor, clutching her head and screaming. I don't understand until Bonnie walks over, focusing all her attention on Katherine as the walls start to shake.

And an eerie chanting fills the air!

**A/N:** Please, let me know what you think!


	14. No Place Like Home

**A/N: **Sorry this took about a week to finish. A big thank you to all the reviewers and I hope the wait was worth it!

Chapter 14: No Place Like Home

I can hear more than one voice in the air. There must be thousands! But what are they… ghosts? Whatever they are, they seem to be helping Bonnie who now looks nothing like the friend I grew up with. The girl who was once sweet and boy-crazed is now a powerful witch and Damon and I stand in awe as she assaults Katherine.

"St-o-o-o-p-p," Katherine screams, but the voices grow louder and even the floor beneath us begins to shake. Damon wraps his arms around me before I can fall to the ground. In a moment of anger, Katherine lunges at Bonnie, but she only makes it one step before she collapses back to the ground, clutching the sides of her head.

I stared at the shaky walls, wondering if they'll come down on us. Maybe we shouldn't be this close.

"Should we move," I asked Damon.

But when he doesn't respond, I look up to find his eyes squeezed shut in obvious pain… just like when Maddox attacked him. Were the… ghost whatevers attacking him too?

"Damon? Are you…"

"Apparently the witchy spirits aren't a big fan of me either. At least they're… focused on… Katherine." His voice is so strained that I know he's in more pain than he's willing to share.

"Bonnie, tell them not to hurt Damon! Bonnie!"

"He's one of them. He must die," Bonnie speaks, only it's not Bonnie. The voice is too dead and even. Whatever has her possessed is using her to destroy my greatest enemy and the love of my life!

The walls give another deafening shake and I realize… it's the house! I have to get Damon outside. Wrapping my arms around his waist as tightly as I can – which makes the pain in my hand excruciating – I begin to pull Damon towards the door. At first he seems stuck, but soon we start to move by tiny inches. And then he falls to the ground.

After that I resort to dragging him, knowing that once we reach the door, he'll be safe, but he's in so much pain he can barely move. The witches must be focusing on him now and I see Katherine start to stand. But instead of heading towards Bonnie, she's heading towards the door. I'm pulling Damon along as hard as I can now, but Katherine's moving faster.

Until she reaches the window.

The sunlight is streaming through heavily now and I can see the idea to jump through the glassless frame forming in her mind, but as she approaches it, smoke begins to rise from her skin.

"What… what's happening," she panics, staring at the bracelet on her wrist.

Soon, the smoke becomes more prominent and her flesh starts to burn. Her screams are inhuman now, and she twists to get out of the sun, but she can't budge. The witches have her feet glued to the floor. I can feel Damon coming to life a little more under my hands and realize the witches must be focusing more on Katherine now. This is my chance to get him out!

"We have to get to the door," I whisper to him.

He nods and with a grunt of pain, manages to get to his feet. After that it's five agonizing steps to the door and I shove him out on the grass. At first, I fear he'll burst into flames, but as soon as he's out the door, the pain releases him.

"I hate witches," he mumbles, brushing the dirt from his pants. Surprisingly, his wounds seem to have mostly healed.

Katherine's screams continue for another few seconds and finally cut off with a strange sizzling sound. Part of me wants to make sure she's dead, but I'm too scared to see her charred body.

"Are you okay," Damon asked, taking my broken hand in his which causes me to wince.

He touches my forehead, which is also tender and his fingers come away with blood. I wonder how many other cuts and bruises must be covering my body. But before I can answer his question, we hear a sobbing coming from the doorway of the house.

"Bonnie?"

"Elena… I don't… want to do that again," she sobs, throwing herself into my arms. I hold her tightly, letting her soak my shirt with her tears.

"I want… Grams."

"Bonnie, I know. I'm so sorry. But it's over now. We can go home," I promise her, holding her tighter. She doesn't respond this time, but her sobs become so strong that they shake us both. I look to Damon, wishing there was something we could do. Bonnie's like a sister to me and I can't bear to see her hurt like this.

Damon seems to see the pleading in my eyes and gently takes Bonnie's head in his hands, turning her to look him in the eyes.

"Don't compel her, Damon. We can't mess with her mind like that," I insisted, but the small smile he gives me erases any of the doubts I have. He only stared into her eyes for a few seconds before they closed and she slumped in his arms.

"I just put her to sleep. We'll get her home and explain the rest there. She'll have peace until then."

"Thank you."

Damon carried Bonnie through the trees until we found the road where Katherine had parked Damon's car. He quickly placed the unconscious Bonnie in the back seat. As we stepped out into the warm sunlight it hit me…

It was over!

The nightmare was over; we won! And I was finally going home! I couldn't contain the hysterical laugh that escaped my lips, causing Damon to flash me a look that questioned my sanity.

"Katherine really did a number on you. Maybe we should get your head examined," he joked, but instead of smiling with him, I launched myself into his arms.

"It's over, Damon! We're safe."

"You just now figure that out."

I just roll my eyes at his condescending teasing and stretch up on my toes until my lips meet his. At first he holds back, the weight of what we just went through still lifting, but soon his enthusiasm matches mine and my feet are lifted from the ground. He holds me so close that it's almost painful, but it's not close enough. I want more! In that instant, I want him to consume me – to burn through me until the past melts away.

And that seems to be exactly what he's doing as his kisses trail down my throat. But when he sets me back on my feet, the kiss and the concussion catch up to me and I start to sway, almost blacking out.

"Whoa. You okay," he asked.

"Uh, I don't think passion and head trauma mix well."

"Here," he stated, biting his wrist and offering it to me. "We can't have you showing up like that to greet your brother."

I drink willingly, remembering that he's injured as well. As my wounds heal, I pull back and sweep the hair from my neck – an offering.

"Elena, I'm a lot more durable than you give me credit for," he scoffed, turning for the car, but I pulled him back.

"You need it too, Damon. You're covered in so much blood I can hardly see your clothes. And I saw that limp during our trip through the woods. Just drink."

His uncertain expression slowly turned into a mischievous smile that made me instantly uneasy. He came closer until he was merely an inch from my face and pulled me into his arms, our bodies flush. The next sensation I felt was his lips ghosting over the skin on my neck… up towards my ear… his tongue snaking out to tickle the skin there.

A moan escaped my lips before I could hide it and I felt his lips turn up in a smile.

"Get in the car Elena," he whispered huskily, before abruptly turning away and moving to the driver's side.

My body still tingled and I felt actual pain at his absence. He was so cruel! As my face turned from heated to angry, I heard him chuckle in the driver's seat.

"You know, the quicker we get to your house, the quicker you can show me your bedroom," he remarked, causing my body to heat up all over again. This time I flew into the passenger seat.

I barely registered the town speeding by, too preoccupied with the fact that I'd be seeing Jeremy in just a few short minutes. What would I say to him? That I was kidnapped by a vampire? No, Jeremy didn't need to know about this world. He had enough to deal with. What then?

Before I'd sorted it out, I saw the sight I'd been waiting for… my house!

The car wasn't even fully stopped before I was out, running for the door.

"Jeremy," I shouted as soon as I was inside. "Jeremy!"

"Elena," his voice asked from upstairs. I ran for them, finding him standing at the top and staring down in disbelief. We stood, frozen like that for several seconds before we each realized the other was real and ran into each other's arms.

For the first time in weeks, everything felt right… complete. I could feel my brother beside me, alive and well.

"I thought you were dead. What happened," Jeremy asked, kissing the top of my head.

"It's a long story."

"Jeremy? Did you hear something," Aunt Jenna asked, rounding the top of the stairs with a towel on her head.

"Jenna," I exclaimed, rushing to her side. Her eyes widened as she took me in, the shock clear on her face. But it soon gave way to tears and she pulled me into her embrace. Jeremy joined our hug and we stood like that for what seemed like hours. Jenna was the one who finally pulled away, holding me at arms length and staring at me.

"What happened? We thought you died in your parent's car crash," she asked.

"I was sort of… kidnapped." I still wasn't completely sure what to say and wished I could have a moment with Damon to get my story straight. Quickly I turned, searching for him, only to find him right outside the door holding Bonnie.

"Jenna, this is Damon. He saved me," I explained breathlessly as I stared at his smug face.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my niece," Jenna exclaimed.

"Would you like to come in, Damon," I asked, smiling as he stepped over the threshold and laid Bonnie on the couch.

"What happened to her," Jeremy asked, panicked. He and Jenna made their way to the couch, never taking their hands off me.

"She saved me too, but she's just tired."

I hoped the lie wasn't too obvious in my voice. Jenna simply grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and covered her. The rest of the day was mostly spent with friends coming to visit, thankful I was alive. Caroline was in tears and was constantly hugging me until her mother pulled her back through the door. The reunion with Matt was awkward. He could sense that something had happened between Damon and me, even before I explained. I could tell he was hurt, but he was so thankful I was alive that he instantly forgave me, which made the guilt that much worse. Uncle John even stopped by, which was a huge surprise. But of course he'd be here after his brother had died.

Bonnie finally woke up somewhere around Caroline leaving and I quietly took her to my room to explain the full story of her grandmother's death. I let her cry for an hour, just holding her. She was so broken, that I didn't know how I could possibly put her back together again. I explained that Damon could take the memories away, but she refused to have him inside her head. Her dad showed up after that and it was the first time I'd ever seen him show so much emotion at one time.

Everyone finally dispersed but Jenna and Jeremy were reluctant to let me out of their sight… until the yawns started setting in somewhere around two in the morning.

"If I go to bed, do you promise to be here in the morning," Jeremy asked lightly, but behind the smooth remark, the concern was real.

"I promise."

"I'm still walking you to bed," Jenna ordered, escorting me to my room and giving me one last hug before releasing me. Somehow I'd managed to keep a straight face through the entire day of reunions, but as Jenna walked to her room, I caught sight of the door to my parent's room across the hall.

I realized that I would never again see them come walking out to get me and Jeremy ready for school. Wouldn't come to tuck me in or sit up and eat ice cream with me when I couldn't sleep. My dad would never lecture me about boys and dating and I'd never get to see my mom's face when I picked out my wedding dress.

This was the first chance I'd gotten since their death to understand what it meant and the depression hit hard. Already, the house seemed too quiet, too empty. The world started to sway for an instant and I knew I was falling…

And then a pair of strong arms caught me.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Damon whispered in my ear, closing my bedroom door and leading me further into the room.

But instead of crawling into bed, I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed into his chest, letting him hold me.

"I'm sorry their gone," he whispered in my ear, but I couldn't respond; could only bury my face deeper. "I'm no good at this. I'm not really the comforting type."

"Just hold me," I begged.

And he did. At some point, we made it to my bed and I fell asleep as he stroked my hair.

The next thing I was conscious of was the faint light starting to stream in through the window. It was still early, but I couldn't force myself to find sleep again. And then I noticed that Damon was still holding me, fast asleep. I couldn't resist watching his face for a moment. All the smugness and bravado gone, he looked so young. Gently, I ran my hand down his face, feeling its perfection.

"Hmm, this feels like a good morning," he murmured, a smirk forming on his face.

"Does your mind ever stray anywhere else?"

"Would you like to find out," Damon asked, rolling over until he was on top of me, consuming my lips with his. Yes, this was a very good morning. But as my body heated up with the kisses he was trailing down my chest, I realized he was not as aggressive as usual. Something was wrong. And then it hit me.

"You never got the blood you needed, did you," I asked, feeling his lips halt just above my breast.

"What can I say; you spoiled me. No one else will do but you," he replied, his sultry eyes hypnotizing me. I planted one more kiss to his lips before tilting my head to the side. In a second I feel his warm tongue slid over my already overheated skin… followed by his teeth.

I never thought I'd enjoy someone biting me, but this was different. It was so intimate, at least the way Damon did it, like we were really sharing something. My whole body trembled in his arms and he held me tighter. But before I was ready he pulled away.

Gently, he laid his forehead to mine and stared deep into my eyes.

"I love you," he confessed and the longing inside me only intensified.

"And I love you."

His lips came crashing down on mine once again and this time I could feel all the intensity he held inside.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice said, coming from just beside the bed.

Damon was instantly on his feet, placing himself between me and the intruder. There, illuminated in the light from the window, was Stefan. He had a sadistic smile on his face and when he spoke, the words were full of menace.

"Hello brother."

**A/N:** I thought it would be interesting to show a complete 180 from the pilot episode between Stefan and Damon. But don't worry, Stefan isn't really there to inflict pain.


	15. A New Beginning

**A/N:** I'd like to start off by telling you all how sorry I am for taking so long with this. There was a family emergency that had to be dealt with, and I was mostly writing this to take my mind off things. Because of that, I'm not sure it came out the way I was expecting. Please let me know what you think. If it really sucks, I might write an alternate ending later. Just let me know! Thanks to all for reading!

Chapter 15: A New Beginning

Stefan glanced around my room, taking in every picture, every random item on my dresser. He seemed so fascinated.

"You killed Katherine," Stefan stated bluntly; his emotions – if he possessed any – were carefully hidden.

"Didn't really have a choice," Damon answered.

"Why did you do it? Why kill Nik? You've been just as bad as me for a hundred and forty-five years. What changed?"

In answer, Damon's eyes flicked to me quickly before fixing back on his brother. Though he hid it well, I could see the tension in his shoulders – he didn't trust Stefan.

"You expect me to believe you fell in love? That didn't turn out too well the first time," Stefan sneered.

"Last time it was Katherine, and it wasn't real. Katherine never loved me. But Elena's different."

"Yeah, she looks real different to me."

Stefan fixed his gaze on me now and I could see the unmistakable longing in his eyes. This wasn't the emotionless vampire I'd met after Klaus had taken me. His green eyes betrayed all the confusion and sadness that roiled inside him. He took a tentative step in my direction, his hand outstretched to touch my face, but Damon blocked his advance.

"Relax, brother, I won't bite," Stefan assured him.

Damon smirked at the comment and I self-consciously covered the bite marks on my neck, only to realize they had already started healing. I must still have some of Damon's blood in my system.

"Forgive me if seeing you so close to her makes me uncomfortable," Damon quipped.

"I just want to know she's real. I thought Katherine had died long ago and she… Please… just one touch."

Damon looked to me, still uneasy with his brother there, so I stood beside him and nodded my head slightly. Ever so gently, Stefan stroked my cheek, running his hand down my shoulder, my arm… until he reached my hand which he took in his. And then he dropped it as if I'd just electrocuted him.

"Why does this hurt so much," Stefan asked in a strained voice.

"It's called humanity, brother. Pesky little thing," Damon reasoned.

"I was happy the way I was. I didn't need you to save me. Now Rebekah's gone and Lexi wants me to feel again. Do you have any idea how hard that is after everything I've done?"

"Trust me, Stefan, I know. I never thought I'd say this… but Lexi's right."

Stefan eyed Damon incredulously, and finally let out a small laugh.

"This girl really has gotten to you."

"You could say that," Damon answered, bringing his smoldering gaze back to me and pulling me close.

"I don't see how you can even stand to be in this town after everything it put us through," Stefan spoke nostalgically, gazing out my window. There was still an undercurrent of something in his eyes as he stared out at the trees, but I couldn't fathom what had him so fixated. And why hadn't he thanked Damon for ridding him of Klaus?

"You realize you took everything from me, right?"

"If you mean 'saved you from a crazed thousand year old vampire' then yes, I did," Damon responded, seeming just as confused as I was.

"I told you, I didn't need saving. He was like a brother to me. And Rebekah…"

"You do realize you already have a brother, right?"

"And if I recall, my _brother_ attempted to steal away the girl I loved and then blamed me for her death." Stefan rounded on Damon until their faces were just inches away. The only move Damon made was to shove me behind him.

"You might want to consider getting over Katherine. I have and she's dead regardless."

"Yes, because you killed her!"

"She was trying to kill me! Not to mention she tricked us both by faking her death in 1864. Did you forget that?"

Stefan continued to glare for another minute before finally backing down, shaking his head and taking deep breaths like he was trying to pull himself together. I wanted to explain that it was Damon that had killed her, but Bonnie, only I didn't want Stefan taking his anger out on her either.

"Lexi wanted me to try and stay here, in my home town, but I just can't stand being this close to you right now," Stefan explained, shooting a glance at me as he said it. I wondered if the person he really had trouble around was me; looking so much like Katherine.

Damon seemed uncertain as he stared at his brother. I couldn't tell if he was happy to see him go or if he wished he would stay. But a part of me knew that he could never fully hate his brother.

"Stefan, wait. You can stay here. We'll help you," I spoke up, looking to Damon for confirmation. He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Sure, Stef. I guess we could pay 'Uncle' Zach a visit," Damon allowed, smirking at Stefan.

"Weren't you listening? How can I stay here after everything you've done?"

"You were a monster with him, Stefan. You were worse than I ever was, or did you forget the rumors of the Ripper of Monterrey?"

Stefan seemed to consider this for a moment, and for once I saw actual remorse in his eyes. Seeing him this vulnerable actually made my heart break and I wanted nothing more than to make sure he came out on the other side of all this pain. Hesitantly, I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Please let us help you," I asked softly.

He just stared into my eyes, locked there and unable to look away, until a knock at my bathroom door made him flinch.

"Elena, who's in there with you," Jeremy asked through the door.

He didn't wait for me to answer, just barged right in, but by then, Stefan was already gone through the window.

"I heard voices and… Oh." Damon stood there, smirking with self-satisfaction as my brother eyed him suspiciously.

"Sorry, Jer. I didn't mean to wake you up," I apologized, blushing furiously.

"Don't, uh, don't worry about it."

The next few weeks were both gloriously wonderful and unbearably painful. Damon and Stefan stayed in town with their "uncle" while Lexi stayed close by, and little by little, Stefan came to life. It was incredible to watch this man, who was so lost, learning to feel again. He soon caught Caroline's eye, which was interesting for a while.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was really struggling. For the first week she simply locked herself in her room and refused to come out. I stopped by every day, though she wouldn't see me. Eventually she came around and began throwing herself into researching the spell books Grams had kept. I was hopeful that, soon, she would come back to us too.

But being at home was where I was really torn. One the one hand, being back with Jeremy and Aunt Jenna was so wonderful… I don't even have the words to describe it. But on the other hand, every article in every room just reminds me that it's something else my parents will never touch again. Even standing in their room, it seemed impossible that they could really be gone. It was, however, getting easier to deal with, and that was mostly because of…

Damon!

_Six months later_

"The sun's starting to set," I reminded him, wondering what Aunt Jenna would say when I was late for supper… again.

"Perfect. It's more fun in the dark anyway," Damon teased, nibbling at my neck and causing me to squeal in response.

"Damon, that tickles!"

We were in the middle of the woods, far from any prying eyes, and were both completely naked in the soft grass. I never could have imagined myself doing anything like this before, but Damon just brought out another side of me.

"We could spend the night out here, you know. Sleep under the stars," he suggested, still trailing kisses down my neck.

"Damon, I have to go home. Jenna's waiting on me for supper. Why don't you come too?"

"You think Jenna would mind me eating my meal of choice." Damon eyed my neck pointedly.

"Referring to me as a meal? That will make me swoon."

I reached for my clothes, pulling my panties on while he watched, disappointment growing on his face.

"It's such a shame to see clothes on a body like that," he commented, making me blush.

"We'll still have tonight. I don't think I've slept at all in months."

It was the truth; in the past six months since my return, Damon had spent almost every night in my room and we'd stayed up for hours… enjoying each other. When I was with him like that, it just consumed me and I couldn't remember anything but him. Some mornings, when I really missed my parents, he was the only reason I got out of bed.

"Well, I hope you don't plan to sleep for a very long time. I have forever to keep you up."

"Sure, but eventually I won't be as flexible as I am now."

"Actually, you'll be even more flexible. I can show you a whole new set of tricks once you turn," Damon explained, smirking. But I was frozen.

"What… what did you say?"

"Don't look so scared. We'll still take it slow at first. Don't worry."

"No… about turning?"

"Well, yeah. What about it?"

"I… I don't want… Damon, I don't want to be a vampire."

"What? What do you mean? You said you wanted to be with me. You said you loved me!"

"I do love you! More than anything! I just…"

I struggled to form the words just right so he'd understand, but nothing was coming to me and his expression turned more heartbroken by the second.

"Damon, I–"

"No, I get it," he muttered, standing and disappearing with his clothes before I could call him back.

I looked around the darkening woods and started making my way back for the car in a daze. Was that what he'd really thought, that I would want to be a vampire after everything I'd suffered because of them? But more than the confusion was the aching in my chest when I thought about the look on Damon's face. I couldn't lose him!

Once back in the car, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, quickly hitting Damon's speed dial number. The phone rang and rang and then a generic robotic voice instructed me to leave a message.

"Damon, please call me back. We need to talk about this."

He just needed time to cool off, I told myself. That was it. He'd have way too many drinks, possible total a car, but he'd come back. He always came back to me. Reassured, I drove back home, hesitantly opening the door and waiting for Jenna to complain about my tardiness.

"Elena, is that you," Jenna called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late. I was just…"

I reached the kitchen, but paused in the doorway when I saw Jenna at the kitchen table with an unfamiliar dark-haired woman.

"Elena, you might want to sit down," Jenna warned.

"What? Jeremy, where's Jeremy?"

"Jeremy's fine. But there's something I have to tell you; something you should have been told a long time ago."

I sat down, eyeing the woman with confusion.

"Hello, Elena. My name is Isobel," the woman introduced, smiling warmly at me.

"Isobel?"

Although it had been half a year ago, Miss Sheila's voice came back to me in perfect clarity. _Isobel's eyes._ But what had she meant? Who was this woman?

"Elena, there's something your parents never told you," Jenna began. "You were adopted."

I stared at Jenna dumbly, waiting for the words to make sense. It was like she was speaking gibberish, but finally, the meaning dawned on me.

"Adopted?"

"Yes. The night you were born, a young girl came to your father's office. She needed a place to give birth to her child… to you… but she was scared for anyone to learn she was pregnant. After you were born, she left, and that's when Grayson and Miranda took custody of you."

My mouth opened and closed several times like a fish as I tried to sort all this out in my head. How could I be adopted? My mom had always said I had my father's nose, his cheekbones. How could she lie to me like that?

"I know this is hard," Isobel soothed. "But John and I just weren't ready for a child. We were so young. But your parents were ready and they wanted you so bad. You had a better life with them than you would have had with me."

I listened to her words in horror until one name finally dawned on me.

"John?"

"Yes; your uncle John."

My whole family had lied to me my entire life? I couldn't fathom this. My parents never kept secrets from me. Right?

_Isobel's eyes._

Grams knew, and as I stared up into Isobel's face now I saw my eyes staring back at me.

"Jenna, would you mind if I talked with Elena alone for just a moment," Isobel asked. Jenna shared a concerned look with me, but nodded and walked off toward the living room.

"Why are you telling me this now," I asked.

"John and I discussed it, and he just wanted you to know that you aren't completely without a parent… if you want one."

"_A_ parent?"

"I… I can't stay, Elena. This isn't my life anymore. But John loves you so much and he just wants a chance to be a part of your life."

"So, you're… what, telling me all this just to leave me again."

"I don't expect you to understand, but I just wanted you to know."

I stared down at my hands, reflexively curling them into fists as I thought all this through. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't be angry at my parents for keeping this secret from me. I still missed them and I'd rather them continue to lie to me if it meant they'd still be here. But my anger with Isobel and John was new and fresh and I had a whole list of questions.

"So, why did you…"

But Isobel was gone. I hadn't even heard her leave the room. I stood and checked the living room, but it only revealed Jenna sitting by herself reading a magazine. The front door was wide open.

"Did she leave," I asked.

"I thought she was still in there with you? How… how did the door come open?"

I just stared at the door in amazement. It reminded me of the superfast movements of a certain vampire… but…

"I, uh, need some time. I think I'll skip supper tonight."

Jenna looked after me with concern as I stomped up the stairs to my room, the tears starting before I had the door shut. There were so many thoughts whirling through my head; I staggered to my bed and let the tears soak into my comforter.

And then I felt a pair of gentle hands on my back.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. We can talk about it if you want," Damon offered, seeming confused by my reaction.

I didn't explain, just sat up and threw my arms around him.

"I'm s-s-sorry too," I sobbed.

"Are you okay? Did something happen."

It took me some time to contain my ridiculous blubbering to explain what Isobel had just told me. He sat and listened, his face blank. As I finished, I felt the weight lift from my shoulders like it usually did when I wrote in my diary. It was nice to have everything I was feeling out in the open.

"Well, if you're still mad at her, I could always kill her," Damon suggested, the playful light in his eyes showing it was only a joke.

"Damon…"

"I know, not funny yet. Want me to kill John instead?"

"I guess not. I should at least hear his side of the story."

"You know you don't have to talk to him alone. And I can be very persuasive."

I couldn't help the small giggle that tore up my throat and it was exactly what I needed. But laughing with him like this only reminded me of our last conversation.

"I didn't realize you wanted me to turn. Honestly, I haven't even thought about it. There's just been so much and–"

"Elena, forget it."

"No, I just… I don't know what I want yet. Right now I… I just want things normal. I want to be human. But maybe in a few years…"

"We'll talk about it then. I've thought about it too and… no matter what you decide, I'll never leave you. Okay?"

With all the horrors I'd experienced over the last few months, this one reassurance meant more to me than anything he could have said. Because, no matter what else I might face, I'd never be facing it alone.

"Have I told you how much I love you today," I asked, resting my forehead against his.

"Not enough. But go ahead, tell me what you love about me."

But under the waggling eyebrows and cocky smirk, the real emotion was shining back in his eyes and the love he felt radiated through me… as I hoped it would forever.


End file.
